Among the stars
by ShadowDragon53
Summary: Ryoko finally gets Tenchi to agree to go on a trip with her to outer-space. What adventures await them? What about the others?
1. A promise kept

Legal notes: These characters don't belong to me, they belong to AIC and Pioneer Corp.   
I'm also not making money off this story either.  
  
Authors notes: The events of this story occur after the end of the Tenchi Universe TV   
series. Oh, and this is my first fanfic as well, so I apologize in advance if it sucks.  
  
Among the stars   
  
Chapter 1: A promise kept  
  
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It was another beautiful morning at the Masaki residence. The sun was shining, the birds   
were singing, and the delicious aroma of Sasami's cooking was wafting throughout the   
house. Tenchi awoke feeling quite refreshed, and he faced the day with a sense of   
optimism. Today was the last day of school before summer vacation, and Tenchi was   
looking forward to spending a nice quiet summer at home. However he quickly realized   
that with a house full of alien females that loved to get into fights, there wouldn't be   
much peace in the house. Still, he was glad he wouldn't have any homework to do.   
  
As Tenchi went out into the hall he almost collided with Ayeka, who was suffering the   
aftereffects of a hangover from drinking saki with Ryoko.  
  
"Good morning Ayeka." said Tenchi, giving her a warm smile.  
  
Ayeka quickly tried her best to appear dignified, "Oh good morning Lord Tenchi." she   
replied, returning his smile despite her pounding headache.  
  
"Did you get a good nights rest Ayeka?" he asked.  
  
Ayeka became nervous as she tried to find a way around telling Tenchi that she had   
passed out on the floor next to Ryoko, "Ah...I've had better." Ayeka then excused   
herself to go to the bathroom.  
  
As Tenchi made his way downstairs he could overhear Ayeka muttering to herself about,   
"Never getting into another drinking contest with that 'no good hussy' again." Tenchi   
shook his head with a smile as he made his way towards the kitchen.  
  
As he made his way into the kitchen, he couldn't help but admire the skillful technique of   
Sasami's cooking. She could probably put many professional chefs to shame with her   
ability. Her endless supply of childish enthusiam was also a welcome addition to the   
house. As he was exchanging morning pleasantries with Sasami, a very tired looking   
Mihoshi came into the kitchen. A week earlier, Kiyone had been temporarily reassigned   
to another district to replace a GP officer who had become pregnant. Ever since, Mihoshi   
had been very melancholy.  
  
"How're you feeling today Mihoshi?" asked a concerned Tenchi.   
  
Mihoshi looked on the verge of tears, "Terrible, I can't sleep at night without Kiyone   
around!" she wailed.  
  
A large sweatdrop formed on Tenchi's head as he tried his best to reassure Mihoshi that   
Kiyone would be back soon enough, but nothing seemed to improve her mood. Sasami   
tried her best to cheer Mihoshi up as well. "Come on Mihoshi, have some breakfast, I   
made your favorite today!" The subject of food seemed to snap Mihoshi right out   
of her depression, "Great! I'm starving!" she exclaimed excitedly. Tenchi and Sasami   
promptly face-faulted.  
  
Ayeka joined the others at the table looking much more refined than she did when Tenchi  
had bumped into her earlier. As she bowed politely and offered her morning greetings,   
she noted with satisfaction that there was an empty spot to sit right next to Tenchi.   
Furthermore, Ryoko didn't seem to be around either. I have a good feeling   
about today. Ayeka thought to herself with a smile as she sat down next to Tenchi.  
  
Sasami looked about and noticed Ryoko's absence, "Hey, has anyone seen Ryoko today?"  
  
Outside the Masaki household, the space pirate in question was deep in thought on the   
roof. Tenchi's summer vacation starts tomorrow, now is the perfect time to ask him. But   
what if he says no? He won't say no, I remember what he told me on the Yagami all   
those months ago. But what if he forgot? Or wasn't telling the truth? No, Tenchi   
wouldn't lie to me. Wait, he wouldn't just leave all his chores behind for someone else to   
do, he's too nice to do that. It'd be great if I could find a robot or something to do his   
work for him. Of course! Washu could help me out! Yeah, but at what cost? Ryoko let   
out a loud sigh. She knew she was still a long way from setting things up so she and   
Tenchi could take a trip to space together. As she tried to work out the various challenges  
she knew she'd be facing, she caught sight of the object of her affection making his way  
towards the bus for school. Whatever price I may have to pay, it'll be worth it. She   
closed her eyes and let the warm rays of the morning sun calm her.  
  
As the day progressed at the Masaki house, it was evident to Ayeka things weren't as   
they should be. Her keen observation abilities had noticed something different about   
Ryoko; she seemed very comtemplative. Ryoko was alot of things, but a deep thinker   
wasn't one of them. Ayeka sometimes wondered if she ever thought anything through   
in her life. It seemed everything Ryoko did was out of a spur of the moment instinct.   
Ayeka concluded that if Ryoko was deep in thought, trouble must be on the horizon.   
Ayeka decided to pay special attention to Ryoko actions that day.  
  
The hours passed, and Ayeka became even more perplexed by Ryoko's behavior. When   
Ayeka had made some comment about Ryoko's laziness she merely grunted and phased   
out of the house. Usually a comment like that would at least inspire some sort of retort,   
but not today. Then during the afternoon soap opera's, Ryoko left in the middle of a very   
steamy romance scene to go towards Washu's lab. This strange behavior was becoming   
exacerbating to Ayeka. What could she be up to?  
  
As Ryoko made her way towards the diminutive genius, she felt a bit of fear run through   
her mind. One never knew what sort of odd stunts Washu was going to pull. Ryoko   
shuddered at the memory of being turned into a water-sprite.  
  
Without even turning to see who was behind her, Washu spoke. "Hey Ryoko, you gonna   
just stand there all day or are you gonna come over here?"  
  
This seemed to catch Ryoko off-gaurd "Oh, of course little Washu."  
  
Washu raised her eyebrow at Ryoko. Usually Ryoko would never remember to call her   
'little' Washu. And by Ryoko's almost nervous tone she could tell something was up.  
  
"Is there something I can do for ya Ryoko?" Washu asked in her high nasal tone of voice.  
  
Ryoko seemed to falter a bit, "Actually little Washu, there if a favor I'd like to ask of you.   
You see, Tenchi has summer vacation starting tomorrow. And I was hoping to take him   
on a trip across the galaxy."  
  
Washu studied her a moment before responding. "Well what do you want me to do? Put   
him under hypnosis so he'll agree to go?"  
  
"No no, see, I know Tenchi wouldn't just leave with me if it meant saddling the others of   
the house with his chores. So I was hoping maybe you could make some sort of a robot   
that would do his chores for him while he's away." She finished quickly.  
  
Washu snorted and turned away from Ryoko. "I'm a scientist. I have VERY important   
projects to be working on. I just don't have time to build some trivial little toy for you."  
  
Ryoko looked downcast, but then inspiration struck. "Nice excuse Washu. Admit it, you   
know you're just too dumb to build this robot." She stated in a cocky manner.  
  
Washu spun around with a furious look on her face. "WHAT?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I   
COULD BUILD IT WITH A BLINDFOLD ON!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Prove it!" Ryoko said with a smirk.  
  
"I'll do just that! You'll have your little toy made by the end of the hour. I'll show you not   
to insult the greatest scientific genius in the UNIVERSE!" On cue, two chibi-Washu dolls   
came out of her hair and proceeded to cheer on their master as a sweatdrop formed on   
Ryoko's head.  
  
"Uh, whatever." Ryoko mumbled as she quickly made her exit from the lab. YES! I can't   
believe that worked! Now, on the final part: convincing Tenchi. That thought made   
Ryoko stop for a moment. She knew Tenchi would get anxious about the thought of   
spending a few hours alone with her. The idea of spending a few weeks alone with   
her might be too much for him. I've gone this far, I won't back down now.   
  
The next few hours were torture for Ryoko. After coming out of the lab, she was promptly  
interrogated by Ayeka, who claimed to know she was "up to something". Ryoko tried to   
play it cool and throw a few insults Ayeka's way to try and convince her everything was   
normal, but she could tell Ayeka was on to her. Ryoko knew she needed to get Tenchi   
alone before talking with him, and Ayeka might pose a problem. Ryoko figured she'd   
probably be at the bus stop making sure Ryoko didn't try and 'defile' Tenchi. I'll just   
have to come up with a way to distract Ayeka while I go see Tenchi.  
  
The hours seemed to pass like days for Ryoko, as she waited for Tenchi's return home.   
Finally, she glanced at the clock and noticed he would be home in a matter of moments.   
Ayeka was watching her like a hawk, searching for some clue as to what Ryoko's scheme   
was. Ryoko excused herself to the the kitchen to get something to drink. In truth, she   
was going to ask a favor from Sasami. Ryoko found Sasami busy doing the dishes, all by   
herself.   
  
"Hey there Sasami. Wow, you've sure got a big load of dishes to do huh?" Ryoko   
observed.  
  
"Oh hi Ryoko. Yeah, I guess I do have alot to do. Don't worry, I'll have the kitchen   
cleaned before dinner." she answered wearily.  
  
"Sasami, you should really ask that lazy sister of yours to help you out. I mean, making   
you do ALL this work? That's criminal! I would do it myself but I have some very   
important work to do right now. So why don't you get Ayeka to help you out, you look   
exhausted." she said sweetly.  
  
"Well, I am kinda tired. I think I will ask Ayeka to help me out...AYEKA! CAN YOU COME   
AND HELP ME FINISH THE DISHES?" Sasami yelled.  
  
Ryoko quickly phased outside just as Ayeka was coming in the kitchen. "Of course I could   
Sasami, you deserve a break anyway after cooking such a large lunch for us." as Ayeka   
took over the dishes Sasami thanked her sister and then went out to play with Ryo-ohki.  
  
Tenchi was walking home a little slower than usual today. As his thoughts were filled with   
hope and dread about the coming summer. He wished he could get some relaxation time,  
but he knew that the girls were probably going to wear him out. The stifling heat that   
day was taking it's toll on Tenchi. I could really use a nice quiet bath. As he walked   
down the path, he was greeted by a familiar sight: Ryoko waiting for him.  
  
"Welcome home Tenchi." She said warmly.  
  
"Hi Ryoko, um how was your day?" Tenchi nervously replied. His body tensed as he   
waited for Ryoko to throw herself at him. Surprisingly that didn't happen though.  
  
Ryoko looked at him with a wistful look on her face. "A bit lonely without you."  
  
Tenchi inwardly groaned, a statement like that almost always was followed by a bear   
hug. However, Ryoko walked towards him slowly, and as she neared him he could see   
her face was a mask of worry.   
  
Ryoko looked down at her feet as she kicked a pebble. "Um Tenchi, could I talk to you for   
a bit?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Sure Ryoko, what's on your mind?" Tenchi asked with concern in his voice.  
  
Ryoko looked up him and took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy. "Tenchi, do   
you remember when we were going to rescue Ayeka from Kagato? And when I tried to   
stop you...I said that we should take a "honeymoon in space" together? Do you   
remember what you told me?" she gazed into his eyes, trying to read his expression.  
  
Tenchi was a bit bewildered, for he wasn't exactly sure what she was getting at. "Yeah,   
I remember Ryoko. Um what's this about?" he asked with a perplexed look on his face.  
  
Ryoko gazed at him, her eyes filled with hope, fear, and anxiety. "Tenchi, I was   
wondering if you'd like to....to maybe go with me into outer space, just the two of us. We   
could tour the galaxy together, I mean since you won't have school for awhile I thought   
now was a good time to go. So...would you?"  
  
Tenchi was like a deer stuck in the headlights. He knew ever since that fiasco with the   
dimension tuner that this was something very important to her. He knew he told her   
back on Yagami that he'd like to take a trip with her someday, but he couldn't just drop   
everything and leave with her. Besides, the thought of spending a summer alone with   
Ryoko was pretty nerve wracking.   
  
As Tenchi seemed paralyzed with indecision, she saw he wasn't exactly sold on the   
concept yet. "You don't have to worry about leaving your chores to the others Tenchi.   
Washu has built a robot that can do all your work at the shrine and the fields." she   
quickly added.  
  
Now Tenchi was really surprised. She seemed to have planned this all out pretty carefully.  
He didn't really have a good excuse not to go with her, especially taking into account his   
statement to her back on the Yagami. In theory he didn't mind the idea of touring the   
galaxy with her. It's just that taking into account Ryoko's overly amorous behavior and   
her penchant for getting into trouble would make such a trip a migraine waiting to   
happen, not to mention the fact Ayeka would be hurt by his going. Despite this however,   
he knew he couldn't turn her down based solely on those reasons. He was a man of his   
word; he said he'd love to go on a trip with her back then, and he couldn't dishonor   
himself by trying to back out of that statement now. He knew Ayeka would be hurt by   
this, but this was a matter of honor, and if he refused Ryoko, she'd think he was lying to  
her then.  
  
Ryoko was a nervous wreck, she was sweating buckets. Even though only seconds had   
passed, it seemed like an eternity. Eventually, she noticed Tenchi's indecisive look gave   
way to a look of conviction. He looked her in the eyes, and stated with firmness, "Alright   
Ryoko, I'll go with you." She almost fell over in shock after hearing this.  
  
"You really mean it Tenchi?" she asked quietly.  
  
Tenchi gave her a half-smile, "Of course I do."  
  
Ryoko's eyes lit up and a huge smile formed across her face as she proceeded to leap   
onto Tenchi in an instant, knocking him in the dirt, and hug him very tightly. "Thank you   
Tenchi!" she squealed in delight. Tenchi tried in vain to get air into his lungs, but it   
seemed as if Ryoko had other ideas.  
  
"P-please...*cough*...not...so...hard!" he choked out.  
  
She quickly loosened her grip on him, "Anything for you my Tenchi." she cooed. Tenchi   
took this opportunity to catch his breath. When he got a look at her, she was radiating   
with joy. His thoughts couldn't help but drift towards the girl who would be less than   
thrilled about his choice.  
  
Tenchi was still catching his breath when he spoke again, "Ryoko, if you don't mind, I'd   
like to tell Ayeka about this alone. I get the feeling she might get a bit...angry with you. I   
don't want a big fight starting ok?"  
  
Ryoko's smile seemed to falter a bit as she thought of her rival, "Ok Tenchi, you go   
ahead and talk with her. I'm going to start packing."  
  
Tenchi glanced over at Ryoko, who was following him home, "You know I should get   
permission from my grandfather and father before I go with you."  
  
Ryoko gave him a seductive smile, "Tenchi, I know your father would approve of this trip.   
Especially since it'll be so...'educational' for you."  
  
Tenchi began to sweat a little as he realized what sort of 'education' Ryoko was referring   
to. Images of him being strapped down nude while Ryoko 'taught' him flashed through   
his mind. While there was a part of his brain which found that scenario quite enticing,   
most of his brain found it quite frightening. His thoughts were interrupted as Ryoko spoke  
again. "I don't think your grandfather would mind too much either. I'm a perfectly suitable  
opponent for your sword practice. And I'm quite eager to see some of your thrusting   
techniques Tenchi." she purred in a sultry tone.  
  
Tenchi once again caught on to her not-so-subtle innuendo, and his face become very   
flushed. Ryoko giggled when she saw his reaction, "I'm going to go pack now. You go on   
and tell Ayeka, ok?" She blew him a kiss before flying off. Shaking his head, Tenchi   
began his walk towards the house. What have I gotten myself into?   
  
Ayeka was making progress on the dishes when Tenchi came in and asked if he could   
speak to her for a moment. She quickly agreed and proceeded to sit down at the table   
with Tenchi. Her curiosity was flaring when she heard how serious he had sounded.   
Tenchi seemed to try and avoid her gaze as he searched for the right words to use.   
He decided not to beat around the bush.  
  
"Ayeka, I just wanted to tell you that I'll be going away for the summer with Ryoko.   
We're going to go into outer space together." he said quietly.  
  
Ayeka was nothing less than stunned. Tenchi was going off with Ryoko for the summer?   
She felt like she had been slapped in the face as she struggled to comprehend this   
strange turn of events. She was about to ask "why?" but Tenchi stopped her by speaking   
again.  
  
"Please try to understand, you see, back when you were being held by Kagato, I had   
said some things to Ryoko. She had wanted me to go with her on a "honeymoon in deep   
space" with her. I had turned her down...but I did tell her that I'd like to go on a trip with   
her someday. Well, it seems as though Ryoko is going to hold me to that statement now.   
I want you to know that I'm not choosing her over you or anything like that, it's just that   
if I refused Ryoko now, she'd think that I was a liar." Tenchi nervously awaited a   
response from Ayeka. He had hoped she would understand his position and try not to   
freak out too much over the results of his decision.  
  
Eventually Ayeka looked up at Tenchi with an emotionless expression on her face, "I   
understand Lord Tenchi, this is a matter of honor for you. I wish you a safe journey. Now   
if you'll excuse me, there are some chores I need to attend to." she stated in a lifeless   
tone.  
  
As Ayeka left to finish her housework, Tenchi lowered his head in guilt. He knew her well   
enough to know just how much she was hurt by this. She had a tendency when she was   
really upset to revert into an emotionless, regal princess attitude. He hoped she wouldn't  
see this as some sort veiled attempt to choose Ryoko over her, but it seemed as if she   
did just that. Maybe she does understand, maybe I'm not giving her enough credit.   
She's a smart lady, she'll think it over and understand. Or, maybe she won't, and she'll be  
in a deep depression all summer long while I'm out being dragged around the galaxy by   
Ryoko. Maybe this was a big mistake, maybe I should have found some way to get out of   
this 'trip'. Yeah, then Ryoko would be the one in the deep depression. Oh why can't   
things be SIMPLE! Giving up on trying to figure out a solution to his problems, Tenchi   
decided to go practice with his grandfather. He'd probably go extra hard on Tenchi seeing  
as how late he was.   
  
As expected, he received an extra hard beating that day.   
  
"Tenchi, your mind was far from focused today, care to tell me what is bothering you?."   
his grandfather inquired.  
  
"I told Ryoko that I'd go into outer space with her for my vacation this summer. I had told  
her a few months ago that I'd like to take a trip with her, and it seems she wants to hold   
me to that statement. And of course, Ayeka is upset because of this. She's trying to hide   
it, but I can tell she's hurt." he replied.  
  
"Ayeka is a wise woman, she may be upset now, but I think she'll be able to see through   
the haze of her emotions and find the truth of the situation. You made a promise to   
Ryoko, and you should not feel so guilty for living up to it." he stated in his typical calm   
manner.  
  
Tenchi began to feel a bit better listening to Katsuhito's words, "Yeah, I guess you're   
right grandpa, I suppose I have a tendency to worry too much about things. Well I think   
I'm going to go take a long bath, I'll see you later tonight." Tenchi bowed politely before   
leaving the shrine office.  
  
Back inside the house, a joyous Ryoko was packing what little possesions she had for   
her upcoming trip. Her mind was bubbling with hope and excitement, she couldn't   
remember when she ever felt this good. Her blissful thoughts were disrupted when a   
certain first princess of Jurai walked in on her.  
  
"I hear you somehow convinced Tenchi to take a journey with you into outer-space. I do   
hope you realize what sort of responsibility you have now. Tenchi is a member of the   
royal family, and you shall be in charge of his security. I'm warning you Ryoko, if Tenchi   
comes back hurt, or if he even complains about a bug bite he received, THE FULL FORCE   
OF MY MIGHT SHALL BE UPON YOU!" Ayeka shrieked.  
  
Ryoko chuckled lightly after seeing Ayeka's outburst. "I can assure you that Tenchi won't   
be complaining one bit. I'm going to make him happier than he's ever been, and he'll   
experience joys the likes of which he's only dreamed of." she hefted her breasts towards   
Ayeka to emphasize which "joys" she was referring to.  
  
A large vein formed on Ayeka's forehead and her eye began to twitch. "YOU MANNERLESS  
TRAMP! If you think you're going to defile Tenchi like that, then you've got another thing   
coming!" sparks began to form around Ayeka as she readied for battle. Ryoko merely let   
out a hearty laugh and continued packing. "Sorry Princess, I'm in too good a mood to  
fight today." she said in a perky manner.  
  
As evening fell upon the Masaki household, one couldn't help but notice the differences.   
Ayeka was quiet and solem, occasionally casting venomous glances at the now cheerful   
Ryoko, Mihoshi seemed indifferent to the matter, as she was still upset at Kiyone's   
absence, Sasami seemed more upset over how Ayeka's mood than about Tenchi going   
away, Tenchi looked like he was carrying a heavy mental burden as he picked at his food,  
Ryoko was on cloud nine, happily munching on her dinner and chatting with Sasami, and   
Nobuyuki was overjoyed about the prospect of his son spending a summer alone with a   
beautiful girl.  
  
Sleep did not come easy for Tenchi, as his mind was filled with dread over what sort of   
crazy adventures he knew Ryoko would drag him into. He was also still worried about   
Ayeka, for he noticed how melancholy she was earlier that evening. Eventually he did fall   
asleep, but his subconcious would not let him rest so easily. In one dream Ryoko was   
forcing him to go on a crime spree, and they were eventually surrounded by Galaxy Police  
and killed, in another Ayeka comes after them and in a fit of jealous rage decides to   
murder them, and there were other horror filled dreams that plauged him that night.  
  
After one such dream, Tenchi slowly opened his eyes to find out what time it was, only to  
find Ryoko 6 inches away from his face.  
  
"AAAAHHHHH!" he screamed while leaping off the bed.  
  
"Rise and shine sleepy head, time to get ready for our little honeymoon." Ryoko said in a   
singsong voice.  
  
"You almost gave me a heart attack Ryoko! And It's...only 6:30 in the morning! Why did   
you wake me up so early anyway? I had a pretty rough nights sleep." Tenchi groaned.  
  
Ryoko gave him a sly smile and draped her arms around his neck. "I bet you were   
dreaming about me all night weren't you?" she inquired in a husky tone.  
  
Tenchi quickly pried free of her grasp and was about to make a hasty exit from the room   
before Ryoko cleared her throat to catch his attention, "Don't you think you should put   
some pants on before going out there? Or do you really want everyone to see your cute   
boxer shorts?" she giggled while holding up his pants. Tenchi turned crimson as he   
snatched the pants out of her grasp. He could tell it was just going to be one of those   
days...  
  
While Ryoko took a morning soak in the bath, Tenchi was downstairs sipping on some   
tea watching Sasami prepare breakfast. He usually wasn't up this early so it a bit of a   
change of pace for him.   
  
Sasami let out a long yawn as she was stirring some soup. "Sasami, are you ok? You   
seem a kinda tired this morning." he asked while taking a sip of tea.  
  
"I didn't get much sleep last night. Ayeka was tossing and turning all night long, and she   
had a few bad dreams too. I think she's still sad about you going away for the summer."   
her voice trailed off as she finished.  
  
Tenchi hung his head, "I'm sorry Sasami, I didn't mean to make Ayeka sad. I wish there   
was something I could do..." Sasami cut him off before he could finish, "Don't worry   
Tenchi, I'm not mad at you, and I don't think Ayeka really is either. I'm sure she'll be   
feeling better soon, and when you come back, everything will be just the way it was   
before, you'll see." her usual cheerful demeanour returned by the time she finished.  
  
After finishing his tea, Tenchi decided to get his packing out of the way before breakfast   
was served. As he finished putting things in the final suitcase, he took a good look at his   
room. I guess it'll be awhile before I'll be sleeping in here again. I hope I can make back  
in one piece. his glum train of thought was interrupted by Sasami calling him for   
breakfast.  
  
The atmosphere around the table that morning seemed quite similiar to the previous   
evening with Ayeka still staying silent. Tenchi wished there was something he could say   
to brighten her mood up before he left, but he came up with a blank. Once breakfast was  
done with, Ryoko immediately latched her arms around Tenchi. "Say Tenchi, since you're   
all packed up and we've eaten breakfast, how about we get going now hmm?" she   
asked sweetly.  
  
"Yeah I guess we could go now." he answered in a defeated tone.  
  
Everyone gathered outside the house to bid the two of them farewell. Tenchi promised   
his grandfather that he would continue his training regimen, Nobuyuki tried to get Tenchi   
to promise to "do his father proud" which Tenchi decided to avoid responding to since he   
knew what kind of hentai things he meant. Sasami bid Ryo-ohki a teary goodbye, and   
promised to have lots of carrots for her when she got back, she gave Tenchi a big hug as   
well, eliciting some grumbling from Ayeka and Ryoko.  
  
"Oh by the way Ryoko, I'll expect you to bring me back some Zelvian crystals." Washu   
stated nonchalantly.  
  
"What for!" Ryoko replied irratated.  
  
"Simple, I need them for some experiments. The Zelvian crystals are amazing energy   
conductors, problem is the Zelvian people are isolationists, they refuse to let anyone   
take their crystals, so I figured you could steal some for me. Remember Ryoko, you owe   
me for building that robot for you." Washu sported a huge smirk as she finished.   
Knowing she didn't have much of a choice, Ryoko grumbled her agreement.  
  
Goodbyes and well wishes were exchanged between everyone, finally coming down to   
Tenchi and Ayeka. "Lord Tenchi, I wish you a safe trip, may you blessed by good fortune   
on your journey." she stated in a quiet tone. Tenchi took her hands in his and looked her   
in the eyes, "Thank you Ayeka, that means alot to me, I wish you good fortune as well.   
I'm going to miss you, all of you." he gestured to the crowd gathered around.  
  
"Ok ok, enough goodbyes, let's go Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko threw the cabbit in the sky as she   
spoke. Everyone watched as it made the transformation into a formidable spacecraft. A   
large beam extended down from Ryo-ohki to Tenchi and Ryoko, and they were   
transported up to the bridge of the craft along with their luggage  
  
Ayeka gazed sadly as the ship sped away from Earth, part of her wondered if she ever   
would see Tenchi again, What if something happens to them? What if they get killed or   
hurt, or what if he and Ryoko... Ayeka forcibly stopped herself from continuing on that   
train of thought. She knew she'd be utterly miserable if she spent all her time worrying,   
so she tried to think optimistic, Maybe they'll come back safely in a few months, and   
everything will be just as it was before, maybe... she let out a sigh as Ryo-ohki became   
little more than a speck of light in the sky.  
  
Back on the bridge of Ryo-ohki, Tenchi and Ryoko stood side by side as they watched   
their home receed from view. Ryoko gazed at Tenchi with a smile on her face, "Well   
Tenchi, it's just you and me now...among the stars."  
  
End of chapter 1  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Authors Notes: So what did you all think? I know you Kiyone lovers are probably setting   
up a lynch mob because I wrote her out of the story, but I want to note that it's   
important to the story that she not be there for Mihoshi to hang onto. You'll see what I   
mean in upcoming chapters.  
  



	2. Born to run

Legal jargon: These characters don't belong to me, they belong to AIC and Pioneer. And   
I'm not making a cent off of this either.  
  
Authors Notes: I must say I've been thrilled with the response so far to my fic, thanks   
and keep the reviews coming! Ok, enough of my babbling, on to the fic.  
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 2: Born to run  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Onboard the cabbit ship Ryo-ohki, Tenchi was gazing in wonder at the glorious blue Earth  
as they sped away from it. He gazed at the delicate white clouds that graced the sphere,   
the blue oceans that covered so much of it, and the various landforms that jutted from   
the oceans floor, it was a sight he'd probably never get used to seeing in person. "Take   
a good look Tenchi, it'll be awhile before we come back. Oh we're going to have fun on   
this trip!" Ryoko exclaimed joyously.  
  
Tenchi finally turned away from the viewing screen and looked at his companion for this   
voyage, "So where exactly will we be going Ryoko?"  
  
Her golden eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke, "That's for me to know, and you to   
find out."  
  
For some reason the way she said that made him quite uneasy, "I see. Well, I think I'll   
go unpack now." he quickly grabbed his suitcases and went to the nearest bedroom   
door. Ryoko could barely contain herself from spinning around the room in happiness,   
one of her dreams was finally coming to pass. Her and Tenchi, alone among the stars, no   
need to worry about any other girls getting in the way, she could finally spend some   
quality time with him.  
  
In one of the bedrooms onboard, Tenchi was neatly putting away his clothes. The room   
wasn't much to look at, fairly plain in appearance with grey walls and dark floor, but it   
had a comfortable enough bed, and he had a great view of the stars as well. As he   
looked outside the window that gnawing feeling of dread began to fade a bit.   
Well, at least I won't be able to complain about my summer vacation being dull.  
  
When he came back on the bridge, he spotted Ryoko sitting in the captains chair drinking   
some tea. She turned around and smiled at him, "I made you a cup as well, come on over  
here and sit with me." she patted a chair right next to hers.  
  
He thanked her and sat down. She handed him a cup of tea and leaned back in her chair,  
savoring the view of Earth. Tenchi was more than a little weary of her tea. He expected   
some bubbling, oozing green sludge, but to his surprise it looked perfectly normal, he   
took a sniff of it and found the aroma quite pleasant as well, now all he had to do was   
taste it. He took a hesitant sip of the tea she made, and to his surprise found it fairly   
good, while not as good as Sasami's, still pretty enjoyable. "Didn't think it'd be any good   
did you?" she asked with a smirk on her face.  
  
Tenchi let out a nervous chuckle as he tried to find a diplomatic answer to the question,   
"Well...let's just say you're not exactly known for your cooking talent."  
  
Ryoko crossed her arms and snorted, "I could be a master chef if I wanted, I just choose   
not to." It took some effort for Tenchi to keep himself from rolling his eyes.  
  
Ryoko spun her chair around to face Tenchi, "You know, this trip is going to be better   
than I hoped for. Since the Jurai government gave me a pardon for all my crimes, we   
won't have to worry about the Galaxy Police chasing after us. Although there are plenty   
of individuals who are out to kill me." she finished in an offhand manner.  
  
A large sweatdrop formed on Tenchi's head, "Um, just curious...exactly how many people   
are out to kill you?" he asked in a nervous tone.  
  
Ryoko put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment, "I dunno, I kinda lost track."   
Tenchi became slightly pale after hearing that.  
  
The two of them finished their tea in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Ryoko   
was trying to think of something to do which would impress Tenchi, Tenchi was trying to   
think up ways to avoid Ryoko if she started trying to seduce him.  
  
Ryoko grew tired of the silence and decided to do something about it, "Let's see what's   
on intergalactic T.V." She took ahold of one of Ryo-ohki's crystals and concentrated. A   
moment later their window view was transformed into a giant television screen. As Ryoko  
flipped through the channels, Tenchi was boggled by the sheer variety of different   
networks. One network had some green skinned people with gills wearing tight shorts   
and dancing to odd music, one had what looked to be some sort of live 24 hour spy   
camera footage of someones house, and another had various fur covered people on a   
stage beating eachother with chairs while an audience chanted what sounded like   
someones name. Aliens sure watch some strange stuff.  
  
Eventually they came across a show called, "The Jurai Enquiror" which Ryoko explained   
was a tabloid show which dished out various gossip. "I don't want to watch some trashy   
tabloid show Ryoko, change it." Tenchi said.  
  
Ryoko shook her head, "No way Tenchi, I love this show. You should hear some of the   
things they've said about Ayeka." She answered with a grin. Tenchi let out a defeated   
sigh and sat back in his chair.  
  
"Our top story today is the latest developments in Princess Ayeka's steamy love affair   
with a native Earthling." Ayeka and Tenchi's faces were shown. Ryoko spit out her tea   
and jumped up out of her chair, "WHAT KIND OF CRAP IS THIS?!"  
  
"Latest reports say the two lovers are virtually inseperable, and there are rumors of the   
two of them eloping." Ryoko's face was a mask of fury as sparks began to fly around her,   
"THIS SHOW SUCKS!" she roared as she threw her chair at the screen and quickly   
changed the channel. Tenchi silently prayed she wouldn't think the story true and turn  
her fury on him.  
  
Ryoko picked her chair up and placed it on the floor, trying her best to calm herself down.   
Where the hell would they get a stupid story like that? she wondered.  
  
***  
  
Back on Earth  
  
***  
  
Washu was sitting in a chair in her lab, talking into some communications device, "Jurai   
Enquiror? Yes I'd like to submit a story, and I'd like to remain anonymous. Well I was   
visiting Earth on vacation recently and I saw Princess Ayeka and that Earth boy on a   
nude beach together making out. Yes as a matter of fact I do have photos, I'll send them   
to you as soon as I can. Thank you, goodbye." Washu began to maniacally laugh as she   
put the finishing touches up on her fake Tenchi and Ayeka photos.  
  
The door to her lab creaked open and Sasami peered in, "Little Washu? Lunch is ready."  
  
Washu glanced over at a nearby clock, "I didn't think it was that late already, I'll be up in   
a minute." she answered. She stood up and walked over to a nearby table. Ok, time to   
see how my little shrine cleaning and crop harvesting inventions work. She put the two   
device's on a sort of wheelbarrow and dragged it behind her.  
  
Everyone was sitting at the table in the middle of lunch when Washu came out dragging   
her inventions out. She stood in the kitchen for a moment as if waiting for someone to   
notice her arrival, when nobody stopped eating, she angrily cleared her throat, "I'd like   
your attention everyone. You should be glad to hear that you all are so privleged as to   
be able to witness the unveiling of two new inventions of mine." she threw back a sheet   
that was covering the two items, "I present to you, Little Washu's Shrine Cleaner 4000   
and Little Washu's Field Worker 4000! These items are so advanced they'll do Tenchi's   
chores more than twice as fast as he did them! So once again, I've proven my total   
intellectual supremacy." she finished with a smug tone as her two chibi-Washu dolls   
came out and praised her.  
  
Everyone looked at eachother, blinked a few times, and resumed eating. Washu's eye   
began to twitch, "Well don't I get some THANKS for what I did?" she asked annoyed.  
  
Sasami smiled sweetly at her, "Your inventions are nice Washu, come have some lunch   
with us, I've saved you some rice balls." Washu shook her head and mumbled something   
about how "True brilliance is never appreciated."  
  
Sasami became a bit downcast as she looked around the table. Without Tenchi, Ryoko,   
and Kiyone around things were so quiet, too quiet. She missed the constant chatter,   
even the occasional fights too, without them things just seemed so dull and lifeless. Her   
pink eyes focused on her sister, and she watched Ayeka eat her lunch with a distant look  
in her eyes. Sasami knew she was still focused on Tenchi and Ryoko.  
  
Just as Sasami suspected, Ayeka was indeed thinking about those two. I do hope   
Tenchi is well. Trouble seems to stick to Ryoko like a magnet, who knows what dangers   
they may be facing right now! I'm being silly, I'm sure everything is just fine. Why right   
now they're probably eating their lunch...of course Ryoko is probably sitting on his lap   
trying to feed him, and I'm sure Tenchi is struggling, trying to get away...but Ryoko is   
much stronger than he is, and she'll overpower him, drag him into her bedroom while he   
pleads for release...and then she'll tear his clothes off and force herself upon him!  
  
*SNAP!*  
  
Sasami let out a sad sigh, "Ayeka, that's the third pair of chopsticks you've broken today."  
  
Ayeka was red with embarassment as she felt everyone staring at her, "I'm sorry Sasami,  
I guess I'm just a bit clumsy today."  
  
After lunch, Washu decided to put her machines to the test. She lugged the robots   
outside in the oppressive heat of the afternoon sun. She was hoping for an audience to   
show off in front of, but almost everyone seemed to be busy, everyone but Mihoshi that  
is. And much to Washu's chagrin, Mihoshi happened to stumble across her. "Hi there little  
Washu, what are those things you have there?" she innocently inquired.  
  
"Don't you remember Mihoshi? These are the machines designed to do Tenchi's chores   
while he's away? I showed them to you during lunch which was only 15 minutes ago!"   
she snapped in reply.   
  
Mihoshi seemed to concentrate for a moment before giving up, "I'm sorry Washu, I guess  
I wasn't paying attention."  
  
Washu groaned loudly, slapping herself on the face, "Why do I even bother? You know   
ever since Kiyone's been away you've been pretty out of it, not that you weren't out of it   
before she left."  
  
Mihoshi's shoulders sunk a bit, "You're right Washu, I just don't know what to do." she   
moaned.  
  
"Well, watching my inventions in action might cheer you up!" Washu chirped in reply. She   
then turned around and summoned her holo-top computer, rapidly punching keys. Finally   
pressing in the final sequence of keys she copped a cocky smirk. "Behold!" she shouted   
while punching the final key, activating the robots. At first nothing seemed to happen, but  
a moment later both machines lifted off the ground. The machines spoke at the same   
time,n::Awaiting your orders little Washu:: Mihoshi clapped her hands a few times and   
offered congratulations to Washu.  
  
"Piece of cake for a genius like me, now to enter in some commands for them." Before   
Washu hit any keys however, Mihoshi started talking to the robots, "Ok, umm, you with   
the broom, go sweep the steps. And you with the plow go to the carrot fields ok?"   
Washu rolled her eyes, "Mihoshi, those things aren't voice activated, they..." ::Orders  
confirmed ma'am:: the robots spoke as they went off to their prospective tasks. Washu's   
jaw was hanging open as she stared at Mihoshi who strode back towards the house as   
if nothing happened. How did Mihoshi do that? I didn't install any voice recognition   
software on them...or did I? I was putting them together with a blindfold on...  
  
Back in the house, Sasami, Ayeka, and Mihoshi were sitting down to watch some   
afternoon television. It broke Sasami's heart to see Mihoshi and Ayeka so downcast, and   
she wracked her brain to think up some sort of solution. There HAS to be something I   
can do to help those two, but what? I tried reassuring Ayeka last night that Tenchi  
would come back and everything would be alright, but she still seems upset. Mihoshi   
sometimes seems happy, but most of the time she seems really quiet and sad. They   
need something to do, something to keep them busy. Maybe they should do something   
together? Yeah, that way they'll be helping eachother out! Sasami almost jumped for   
joy, for she loved helping people out.  
  
Sasami tugged on the sleeve of Ayeka's kimono, "Hey Ayeka I got a really great idea!   
You know how you've always said you wanted to build a nice garden? Well why don't   
you do that? And you can take Mihoshi out to help you too."  
  
Ayeka seemed a bit caught off gaurd by her suggestion, she blinked a few times and   
mulled the idea over. "Well, I suppose I could do that. It would take my mind off...yes I   
think I will start a garden, Mr Masaki has said I could build one right out front." her spirits   
seemed a bit lifted as she finished.  
  
"Yeah that sounds like fun Ayeka, let's do it!" Mihoshi exclaimed with enthusiasm.  
  
Ayeka's spirits began to fade when she thought about the idea of Mihoshi "helping" her.   
She knew just how unlucky Mihoshi could be. But then again she could use the help, and   
the company as well. "Alright Mihoshi, let me change into something more suitable for   
yard work."  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile onboard Ryo-ohki  
  
***  
  
Balance...  
  
That was the one thing Tenchi was striving for at the moment. He was sitting   
cross-legged on the floor in his bedroom with a ceramic vase balanced on top of his   
head. He and Ryoko had agreed earlier that the bridge of Ryo-ohki just wasn't large   
enough for sword practice, so Tenchi decided to focus more on some of the other training  
excersizes his grandfather had taught him. At the moment he had been focused on   
keeping perfect balance for almost an hour now, and he was starting to waver a bit in   
his vigilence. He began to ponder how the others back home were doing, especially   
Ayeka.  
  
Elsewhere in the ship, Ryoko was preparing lunch for her and Tenchi. Granted, it was a   
frozen lunch she just needed to heat up, but Ryoko was dedicated to making sure she   
didn't screw it up. I sure won't be impressing Tenchi with this meal. She was   
impatiently awaiting it to finish heating, as her stomach had been grumbling for some   
time. Ah, finally! she quickly opened the stove and took out the two dishes, and to her  
delight they seemed just the perfect temperature. She brought the meal out to the   
bridge, where she had set up a table to eat.  
  
She was about to knock on Tenchi's door to alert him that lunch was ready, but she   
decided to be a bit sneaky instead. She quietly phased through the door to find Tenchi   
sitting perfectly still with a vase on his head and his eyes closed. An evil grin formed on   
her face as she silently flew to within inches of Tenchi's face.  
  
Tenchi was doing his best to stay focused on his meditation when he began to smell a   
strange but pleasant aroma, What is that smell...it smells like a perfume... Tenchi   
opened his eyes only to see a grinning Ryoko right in front of his face.  
  
Yelping, Tenchi stumbled backwords, the vase unceremoniously falling off his head.   
Ryoko couldn't contain herself as she erupted into laughter. "Ryoko! What did you do   
that for?" Tenchi's voice was laced with annoyance.  
  
Ryoko was trying to stop laughing as she replied, "Well Tenchi, I'm supposed to be   
helping you train remember? Now what would your grandfather say if he saw how easily   
you lost your focus, hmm?"  
  
Tenchi seemed to consider this for a moment, "He'd probably make me spend an extra   
hour with the vase on my head."  
  
Ryoko finally controlled her laughter as she leaned in towards Tenchi, "Well, I'm sure I   
could think of an appropriate punishment for you my Tenchi." her eyes twinkled with   
desire as she spoke.  
  
Gulping, Tenchi tried to change the subject, "Say Ryoko, I'm pretty hungry, do you have   
anything for lunch around here?"  
  
Ryoko finally realized why she had come in his room in the first place, "Oh! I totally forgot  
about that. I wanted to tell you I made lunch for us." When she saw Tenchi had a   
slightly terrified look on his face, she rolled her eyes, "Don't worry Tenchi, I wasn't the   
one who actually made it, it's a frozen lunch I just had to heat up." Tenchi seemed   
relieved, "Oh, well in that case let's eat." he said with a smile.  
  
Tenchi's optimism about lunch soon faded away once he got a good look at it. To say it   
looked unappetizing was an understatement. The fish appeared dry and shrivled, the   
vegetables were limp as noodles, and he didn't even want to think about what the   
sauce might taste like. Ryoko merely shrugged her shoulders upon Tenchi's reaction,   
"Hey it's not my fault it looks so bad. Who knows, maybe it tastes better than it looks."  
  
Sadly, that theory didn't pan out.  
  
"This fish is almost like rubber!" Tenchi dejectidly commented.  
  
Ryoko chewed it for a bit with a contemplative look on her face, "I think we've been   
spoiled too much by Sasami. Believe me, I've had alot worse than this."  
  
Tenchi finally swallowed the piece of fish with a slightly nauseated look on his face,   
"You've had worse than this?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Before she could stop herself Ryoko responded, "Oh you think this is bad? Try eating out   
of a dumpster, now THAT is bad." Ryoko mentally kicked herself for saying that.  
  
Tenchi seemed perplexed as he thought for a moment, "When did you eat out of a..."   
Ryoko quickly interrupted him, "It's not important...let's just drop it." she stated firmly   
with a hint of anger in her voice.  
  
Tenchi silently nodded his head and decided not to press the issue any further. An   
awkward silence hung over the two as they ate their lunch. Tenchi stole short glances at   
Ryoko, who seemed to have lost all her mirth and was gazing at her plate with a distant   
look in her eyes. Tenchi opened his mouth to try and say something to diffuse this   
growing tension, but came up with nothing. He tapped his chopstick on the crystal table   
a few times out of nervousness.   
  
Ryoko was mentally scolding herself for her earlier slip of the tounge. She had planned   
on a lot of things for this trip, but opening up the darker secrets of her past wasn't one   
of them. She looked up at Tenchi only to find him looking quite uncomfortable, and she   
realized it was mainly due to her demeanor.  
  
Resolving to break the palpable uneasiness, Ryoko quickly forced an attitude change,   
"Don't worry Tenchi, we'll be eating at a lot of fancy restaurants, so don't get too used to  
frozen meals."   
  
Tenchi was relieved she seemed back to her old self, "So Ryoko, how exactly are we   
going to pay for this trip?"  
  
Ryoko gave him one of her famous grins, "Didn't you know that every good pirate always   
buries a little of their treasure?" she asked slyly.  
  
Tenchi seemed a bit surprised, "You mean you've got some money buried away out   
here? I didn't think space pirates did that sort of thing."  
  
"Well they do, Tenchi. And we should be picking up the money in about 2 days. I left it   
stored on an uninhabited planetoid, and there's plenty of cash there." she quipped.  
  
"I'm not sure I really like the idea of using stolen money. I mean what if we get in   
trouble?" he asked worriedly.  
  
She tried her best to reassure him, "Don't worry Tenchi, remember I was pardoned? And   
besides, this money has been gone for years now, I don't think anybody will mind us   
using it now."  
  
"Well, I guess it's alright. I think I'm going to go relax with a nice hot bath now, I didn't   
have a chance to get one this morning. Oh, and thanks for making lunch Ryoko. It might   
not have been the tastiest food I've eaten but it's better than starving." Ryoko's eyes   
lingered on Tenchi as he walked towards the bathroom, thoughts drifting to what   
happened earlier. I'm going to need to be more careful if I want to avoid any more   
slip-ups.  
  
As Tenchi eased himself into the warm waters of the bath, he pondered what secrets   
Ryoko might be hiding. You know it's funny, I've lived with her for so many months now,   
but I really still hardly know anything about her. The only thing I really know about her   
past is that she was a space pirate. What was her childhood like? Her family? She never   
talks about any of that, and when someone tries to inquire about them she gets real   
defensive. I guess it's really not my business. Her past is her own, and it's not my place   
to try and snoop around. Tenchi let the soothing warmth of the water melt away the   
tension of the day, and tried to forget about all his worries.  
  
***  
  
2 days later...  
  
***  
  
Tenchi let out a loud yawn as he opened his eyes to greet the new day. He enjoyed   
having the chance to sleep in, though due to the lack of sunlight, he found himself   
sleeping much later than he was used to. He pulled his pants on and pushed the button   
which opened his bedroom door. He was a bit surprised to find Ryoko fully awake and  
dressed, for usually she would always sleep later than anyone else.  
  
She gave him a gentle smile when she saw him, "Morning sleepy head, there's some tea   
on the stove for you and some breakfast in the oven. I'm going to head down to Altara 4   
to pick up the cash for our trip. I'll be back in a bit, don't get too lonely while I'm gone."   
she winked at him before phasing outside the craft.  
  
Tenchi blinked a few times in surprise and rubbed his eyes, She sure seemed perky   
today. It was then he realized he had been surprised alot lately by Ryoko's behavior.   
When he first started this trip, he had expected to find himself being chased around the   
ship by a nude Ryoko, but instead she seemed a little more calm, more cheerful. She still   
would drape herself around him frequently and make the occasional suggestive remark,   
but not as often as he had anticipated. Of course he had also been doing his best to   
avoid prolonged close proximity to her. They didn't really have many conversations,   
they'd have small talk frequently but nothing in-depth. He'd spend much of his time   
reading or training. They did spend time together watching television, though the fact   
she had sole control over the remote made the programming choices a little one sided.   
He did get some time to watch a few shows which taught him some more about alien   
culture. All in all he had to admit that this trip so far had actually been fairly good, and for   
the first time, he actually began to have some optimism about this voyage.  
  
Ryoko flew through the airless vaccum of space with ease as she swooped towards her   
intended destination. So far so good. Seems every day Tenchi gets more and more   
relaxed around me, I just gotta be patient, and it won't be long before finally... her   
golden eyes glazed over as she fantasized about her and Tenchi together. She was so   
preoccupied with dreaming of Tenchi she almost collided with the surface of Altara 4.   
Getting her head out of the clouds she focused on the task at hand.  
  
Quickly connecting her mind with Ryo'ohki she learned of the exact location of the vault.   
She flew acorss the surface of the atmosphereless planetoid at a rapid pace. The terrain   
was riddled with ancient craters, the surface was almost black in color, it was utterly   
worthless really, no reason to try and colonize it. And that was the exact reason she   
chose it as the hiding place for her loot. She homed in right where her vault should be,   
and sure enough she saw the metal surface of it. Smiling she landed on top of it, and   
quickly put in the combination numbers of the lock, Just like the old days... she mused.  
  
Her smile was quickly wiped off her face when she opened it however, for the vault was   
empty. Ryoko was in shock as she tried to digest this information. WHERE DID IT ALL   
GO?! I rememeber I left a whole giant sack of money here after hitting that bank on   
Ribald! And then I remember...taking it all out to pay off a gambling debt. she went   
pale as she recalled what happened. How am I going to tell Tenchi? He was finally   
starting to relax a little, and now I'm going to tell him we're broke? Then he'd probably   
want to go back home. No, I can't tell him. But how am I going to get some money? I   
guess I'll have to steal some, but I need to be able to do it without Tenchi finding out!   
Realizing Tenchi was probably wondering what was taking her so long, Ryoko took off   
back towards Ryo-ohki.  
  
Back onboard Tenchi was just coming out of the bathroom when he saw Ryoko phase in,   
"Hi Ryoko, you got the money?"  
  
She jumped a foot in the air when she heard him speak, "What? Money? Yep, I got it all   
right, hehe, nothing to worry about." Tenchi looked at her a bit puzzled, she seemed   
pretty on edge.  
  
"You ok Ryoko?" He asked in a concerned manner.  
  
"M-me? I'm fine, never been better!" she stammered out.  
  
Tenchi didn't say anything but still had an unsure look in his eye as he sat down in a   
co-captains chair to begin his breakfast. He watched as she seemed highly anxious   
about something. She paced back and forth on the bridge with a far off, worried look on   
her face. He decided to just watch her for awhile to see if he could gain some clue  
as to what was troubling her.  
  
As the hours passed Ryoko still seemed worried about something, and Tenchi was   
loosing his patience. Any time he'd ask what was wrong she'd merely brush him off,   
show some phony bravado and claim everything was ok. Ryoko was almost sick with   
worry, when suddenly Ryo'ohki mentally alerted her. What is it Ryo-ohki? Spaceships   
in the sector? What! You're telling me there are ships of the Vhalid pirate guild in the   
sector? How many craft you detect? 4 small escort craft and 1 cargo freighter? Wait a   
second... Her eyes lit up as inspiration struck.  
  
"Will you excuse me a moment Tenchi? I just need to check up on something..." she   
mumbled as she hurried towards her bedroom. When she closed the door, she   
immediately phased into her battle outfit. Tenchi doesn't want to steal from any banks,   
but he never said anything about stealing from a pirate ship. It's not like I'll get in trouble  
with the GP for doing this, so we won't be wanted criminals. But...we will be in trouble   
with the Vhalid guild. she hated the thought of possibly putting Tenchi in any sort of   
trouble, but she felt she had to do this.  
  
She grabbed a large sack in her room and phased outside the ship. She knew that the   
cargo ship would be fairly easy to break into, and the small escort craft wouldn't be able   
to keep up with Ryo-ohki, so she was confident they could escape this coming battle. She  
searched the outside of the craft for a moment, trying to deduce where they may keep   
their stolen goods. Deciding to go with her instinct, she summoned her energy and   
blasted a hole through the hull of the ship. Due to the vaccum now created, the materials  
inside began to get sucked outside the craft. Ryoko burst into a huge grin when she saw  
a large amount of money pouring out of the freighter. Finally my luck is changing. she   
mused as she scooped up as much as she could and stuffed it into her sack.  
  
She turned around and noticed the fighter escorts speeding towards her as they had   
apparently found out what was going on. Thinking she had gotten enough cash, she   
raced back towards Ryo-ohki.  
  
On Ryo-ohki, Tenchi was sitting in a chair on the bridge reading a book about various   
rituals of the ancient Japanese when suddenly he was thrown from his seat as the ship   
shook violently. As he stood up he saw Ryoko phase in carrying a large sack with her.  
  
"Ryo-ohki! Let's get out of here!" Ryoko yelled.  
  
"Ryoko what's going on!" he shouted in confusion.  
  
Before Ryoko could respond however, the viewing screen flickered for a moment and the   
face of a large, bearded  
man with dark green hair and blue eyes came on-screen.  
  
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING! Trying to steal our haul?" he roared in a   
rage.  
  
"You don't mind if I help myself to some of it for awhile do you?" Ryoko's asked with an   
arrogant smirk.  
  
Tenchi looked back and forth between the two with utter confusion, "Ryoko! What's he   
talking about?"  
  
The bearded man was simmering with anger as he spoke, "You won't get away with this   
Ryoko. The mark of Vhalid is upon you now, it's only a matter of time..." he then cut off   
communications with Ryo-ohki.  
  
Tenchi noticed Ryoko seemed a little perturbed by the mans words. "Ryoko, I think   
you've got some explaining to do." he said bluntly.  
  
Ryoko turned towards Tenchi and let out a nervous chuckle, "Well Tenchi, I sort of stole   
a bunch of money from that guys ship."  
  
"WHAT!" Tenchi screamed.  
  
"Now hold on Tenchi. See that was a pirate ship, one of the Vhalid clans. They're the   
most powerful pirate guild in the galaxy. I guess you're probably wondering why I stole   
from them. Well, I sort of forgot to tell you earlier that the vault on Altara 4 was sort   
of...empty." she said meekly.  
  
Tenchi closed his eyes and shook his head, "I should have known. I knew you were   
hiding something from me earlier, now I know. Ryoko why didn't you tell me about this?"   
he asked with anger in his voice.  
  
Ryoko looked down at the floor with shame, "Well Tenchi, I was afraid that if you found   
out, that you'd want to go back home. I just wanted..." her saddened voice tapered off   
as she spoke.  
  
Upon seeing her obvious depressed and sorrowful state, Tenchi's anger began to   
dissapate, "Those guys were pirates, so I guess they had it coming to them."  
  
She looked up at Tenchi with hope gleaming in her eyes, "Does this mean..."  
  
Tenchi stopped her before she finished, "It means that we've got a galaxy to explore.   
And next time Ryoko...please consult me before putting our lives in danger ok?" he asked  
a bit tiredly.  
  
Ryoko nodded her head with a smile, "It's a deal."  
  
Tenchi then remembered something he forgot to ask Ryoko, "Hey, what did that guy   
mean when he said, 'The mark of Vhalid is upon you now.'?"  
  
"Oh, that's just a death warrant on us. It means the entire Vhalid clan is out to kill us   
now." she replied casually.  
  
A wide eyed and dazed Tenchi slumped back into his chair, "Oh...I see."  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ok, another chapter is done, I hope you folks like it! I got a ton of ideas bubbling in my   
head for upcoming chapters, some humorous, and some dark, so stay tuned!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Night and day

Legal stuff: I don't own these characters (except the ones I make up myself), they   
belong to AIC and Pioneer corp. And I'm not making a nickel off of this story either.  
  
Authors notes: I've really happy with the reception this fic has gotten so far. I love   
getting feedback so keep those reviews coming. WARNING: This chapter contains content  
that may not be suitable for younger viewers.   
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 3: Night and day  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
***  
  
Out in space  
  
***  
  
The majestic cabbit ship Ryo-ohki sailed through the heavens with grace, she was gifted   
with power, speed, and had one of the most skilled pilots in the galaxy to guide her.   
Yet she had one serious problem, she had a severe hankering for some carrots at the   
moment. And at the moment she was making that yearning quite clear to her master,   
Ryoko. Alright Ryo-ohki! Quit your moaning, we'll be landing on Fladucia soon, and you'll   
get plenty of carrots then.  
  
Ryoko looked over at Tenchi, who was busy watching a documentary about a revolution   
that occured on the planet Ingrima several thousand years ago. Doesn't Tenchi ever   
get bored watching that stuff? If he just relaxed a bit the two of us could REALLY have   
some fun. Ryoko mused dreamily.  
  
"Wow, did you know that over a third of the population of Ingrima died during the   
Keshmire revolt? That's really something." Tenchi stated while munching on some snack   
crackers.  
  
Ryoko let out a yawn, "Yeah, that's something alright."  
  
Ryoko sat up straight in her chair as Ryo-ohki communicated with her, "Tenchi, get your   
stuff ready, we're going to be landing on Fladucia now."   
  
Tenchi nodded once and went off to pack a bag for their stay. Ryoko had told him that   
Fladucia was well known for its fine resorts and casino's. The thought of Ryoko gambling   
made Tenchi shudder, I better keep a close eye on her. She's liable to gamble   
everything we've got away. deciding not to dwell too much on it, Tenchi started stuffing   
clothes in his bag. He stopped for a moment to think about what kinds of fashions their   
people might wear, I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, maybe we should pick up  
some clothes when we get there. When he was finished he arrived back on the bridge   
to find Ryoko there with a small suitcase in hand.  
  
"Hey Ryoko, do you think we should maybe go shopping for some clothes when we first   
land? I don't want to look like a tourist." he inquired.  
  
Ryoko put her hand on her chin and looked him up and down for a moment, "Nah, you   
look fine Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi walked towards the viewing screen and took a look at the planet they'd be   
staying on for awhile. It appeared a bit smaller than the Earth, and it had blueish-green   
oceans, wispy violet colored clouds and several very large and mountainous land forms   
on it. He was jolted out of his revere when the ship began to shake as it entered the   
atmosphere.   
  
He marvled at the beauty of the delicate violet clouds they passed through, and he   
noted with interest the sky seemed almost like the color of rust. Finally his attention was   
turned towards the large landing area they were going towards. There were hundreds   
of vessels parked there, ships were flying in and out, and the ground was teeming with   
life.  
  
Once they got off the ship Tenchi was even more amazed by how crowded the place   
was. It made even the busiest Earth airport seem puny in comparison. There were aliens   
of all shapes and sizes jamming the space port, and Tenchi didn't have a clue which way   
to go. Ryoko grabbed his hand and started pulling him through the crowds, with Ryo-ohki   
perched atop her shoulder, "If you stand around gawking like that someone's liable to   
steal your luggage." Ryoko yelled in his ear, though the crowd noise was so great he   
barely heard her.  
  
Finally escaping the hustle and bustle of the space port they came out in the streets of   
an enormous city, with flying cars that zoomed through the air and flashy neon lighting   
that set the city ablaze with its glow. There were skyscrapers that soared into the sky,   
almost to the clouds it seemed. The architecture was different from Earth, with many   
more curved structures. I bet dad would love to check out the blueprints for these   
buildings.  
  
He looked down and noticed Ryoko still holding his hand as they walked down the   
street, instinctivly he pulled his hand away, eliciting a dissapointed glance from Ryoko.   
"We should probably go book a hotel room now Ryoko, I don't want to be carrying these   
suitcases for much longer." he said with a hint of weariness in his voice. She readily   
agreed and they went off searching for a suitable place to stay.  
  
After walking through the packed streets for what seemed like forever, they finally came   
across what looked to be a fairly expensive hotel. "Ooh Tenchi come on let's stay here.   
This looks like a real nice place." she stated excitedly. Tenchi didn't like the idea of   
spending too much for a place to sleep, but his arms were beginning to get sore carrying   
his luggage, so he gave in to Ryoko's pleading.  
  
Coming through the large arched doorway lined with dark blue carpet, they came across   
a counter which appeared to be made out of a fine alabaster. At the counter there was a  
very pale skinned woman with short bright green hair. Tenchi walked over to her with a   
warm smile on his face, "Hi, we'd like to rent two rooms please, for..." he glanced over at   
Ryoko who put up four fingers, "four days." he finished. The woman at the counter   
began typing at a console, "I'm sorry sir, we only have one room available at the   
moment, the honeymoon suite." Tenchi inwardly groaned at his misfortune while Ryoko   
was beaming with a smile. "We'll take it!" she exclaimed.  
  
"B-but there's only one room!" Tenchi stammered out.  
  
"I know." Ryoko whispered lustily in his ear.  
  
"Very well madam, now what name shall I put these reservations down for?" the   
receptionist asked politely. Tenchi opened his mouth to speak, but Ryoko quickly   
interrupted, "Mr and Mrs Masaki." she stated with a smile.  
  
"What?! No no, we aren't Mr and Mrs Masaki, we're just traveling together is all." Tenchi   
quickly said.  
  
Ryoko put a finger to his lips, "Now now dear, no need to be embarrassed." she turned   
towards the receptionist, "We just got married not too long ago, and he's still very shy   
about this sort of thing in public. See he just couldn't keep his hands off me in the car so   
we had to get a place to...'rest', you know how it is." she let out a giggle as she finished   
while the woman at the counter gave her a knowing smile. Meanwhile Tenchi was   
stuttering incoherently, embarrassed beyond belief and shaking his head. He was about   
to stammer out some sort of protest to Ryoko's comments but the receptionist spoke   
up, "Here's your key madam, may you both have a...'restful' stay at the Ramadi hotel."   
Ryoko gave the receptionist a wink before grabbing Tenchi by the arm and dragging him   
upstairs towards their room.  
  
Ryoko was laughing as they arrived at their room, while Tenchi gave her a disapproving   
look. "Ryoko, I don't like you giving people the impression that we're a couple." he said   
sternly  
  
Ryoko merely shrugged her shoulders, "What difference does it make? Nobody out here   
will care one way or the other. Besides, we're practicly a couple as it is."  
  
Tenchi decided to just ignore her last comment and opened the door to their room. It   
was quite spacious and well furnished. The dark red carpeting matched well with the   
muave colored drapes and sheets. There was a small wood table with two chairs, and   
the bed was king sized with two large, plush pillows on it. Ryo-ohki bounded off of  
Ryoko's shoulder and bounced around the room, sniffing various places of the room   
trying to famaliarize herself with it. Tenchi set his suitcases down and walked around the   
room, getting a feel for it while Ryoko lept onto the bed and began jumping up and down  
on it.  
  
Tenchi gave Ryoko a quizzical look, "Ryoko, what are you doing?"  
  
She stopped bouncing and gave him a sly smile, "I'm testing to see if this bed will be   
able to handle the strain we'll be putting on it."  
  
Tenchi was too worn out to offer a complaint to her comment, so he chose to examine   
their bathroom. While it certainly wasn't as luxurious as the womens bath back at the   
Masaki house, it was a far sight better looking than the mens bath. His attention was   
diverted when Ryoko called out to him, "Hey Tenchi, I'm too tired to go out tonight. Why   
don't we just order some food up to our room?" Tenchi suspected that Ryoko just   
wanted to keep him in the bedroom all night long, however, he was fairly tired himself,   
so he agreed with her.  
  
Ryoko watched with amusement as Tenchi struggled to figure out how to work the   
intercom like device that was set up in their room. He had pushed some 3 buttons now   
and after each time would speak into the device, but he was repeatedly met with nothing  
but silence. He was growing more and more aggrivated by the moment, and it took all of   
Ryoko's willpower to keep herself from bursting out into laughter. Finally deciding to give  
him a break, she walked over and pushed the right button for Tenchi. He scratched the   
back of his head and muttered a quiet 'thank you'. He then examined the menu card that   
was placed in the room.  
  
"Hi, room service? Yes I'd like to order some food up my room please...room 426. I'd like   
an order of..." It was then Tenchi made a startling realization, he had no idea what these  
items on the menu consisted of, Congulian Pie? What the heck is that? he gave Ryoko   
a sheepish smile and handed the menu over to her. She shook her head with a smile and  
took over the intercom.  
  
"Just send up two orders of the Mentalian speciality, with some Sheski and two glasses   
of Perfim." Ryo-ohki jumped onto Ryoko's shoulder and began to meow insistantly, and   
recognition dawned on Ryoko's face, "Oh, and send up a basket of Durkins" she quickly   
added. She turned over to Tenchi who had a puzzled look on his face, "They're pretty   
much like carrots."  
  
Tenchi was a bit concerned about what sort of alien foods they'd be eating, he didn't   
want some steaming lump of goo for dinner, "So, um, what is this...Mentalian speciality   
like?"  
  
"Well, basicly it's a glazed meat that's set atop some fried vegetables." she said simply.  
  
Tenchi was relieved, he was worried it would end up being something really strange,   
"What does the meat taste like?"  
  
Ryoko looked up at the ceiling as she thought for a moment before looking back down at   
him again, "Chicken."  
  
"Figures..." Tenchi mumbled.  
  
***  
  
Later on...  
  
***  
  
Tenchi leaned back in his seat and let out a loud yawn. Much to Tenchi's delight, their   
dinner earlier was exquisite. The meat was done to perfection, with a light glaze on it   
that reminded him of a teriyake sauce. The vegetables matched perfectly with the meat,   
and the Sheski turned out to be a dipping sauce that really brought out all the flavors of   
the meal. The Perfim was a sort of wine, which Tenchi politely turned down a glass of,   
and of course Ryoko quickly drank both glasses herself. He had been living off of frozen   
meals onboard Ryo-ohki for the last few days, and it felt good to finally be able to have a   
decent meal again, he was now thankful Ryoko suggested they stay in this hotel.  
  
After dinner they both relaxed and watched some television. Ryoko was sitting up   
against the backboard of the bed with Ryo-ohki nestled on her lap, peacefully sleeping.   
They had surprisingly found a movie they both could agree to watch. When it finished,   
Ryoko turned the set off, and gently placed Ryo-ohki on the table in the room. "You know   
I think it's time we got to bed ourselves." Tenchi tiredly commented. If he was more alert  
he would have realized what type of idea Ryoko would get after hearing that.  
  
She had a smile on her face as she looked at Tenchi, "You're absolutely right. I'll go get   
changed for bed." she said as she went into the bathroom. Tenchi nodded his head with   
half-closed eyes.  
  
Any tiredness Tenchi had felt before vanished in an instant when he saw Ryoko come   
out of the bathroom. She was wearing a very short black lace nightie that clung tightly to  
her every curve. As she sauntered over towards him, he could see that the nightie was   
at least a size too small for her, as her breasts were almost bursting out of it. His  
nose was giving indications that a nosebleed was approaching.  
  
She gave him an inviting smile, "Do you like it? I bought it for you, and I was saving it for   
a special night like this."  
  
Tenchi's brain was going haywire, as hormones and rational thought battled for control.   
His eyes were wide open and his mouth went dry as he tried to form coherent words.   
"It's...it's...nice." he stammered out.  
  
She then slithered onto the bed, beckoning him to come over with her finger, "Come on   
Tenchi, time for bed." she said playfully.  
  
Realization slammed into Tenchi as his brain began to register that there was only one   
bed, and on that bed was a very scantily clad Ryoko. He finally beat down his hormones   
and began to think clearly again, "Ryoko, you sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the   
floor, I'll just take one of those pillows." he stated firmly.  
  
Ryoko let out of a frustrated grunt as she realized Tenchi wasn't going to give in. Then   
she gave him a playful smile, "You're going to have to deal with me if you want one of   
these pillows." she said as she grabbed both pillows.  
  
Tenchi gave her a stern look, "Ryoko, I'm not in the mood for games. Come on, give me a   
pillow alright?"  
  
Ryoko shook her head, "Sorry, unless you wanna share a bed with me, you'll have to   
fight me to get a pillow." she said with a grin.  
  
Tenchi stared at her a moment, hoping his stern look would make her back down. But   
after awhile she started to laugh, and he saw it wasn't working. Thinking he could catch   
her off guard, he quickly stepped forward and tried to snatch a pillow from her grasp,   
only to find he had missed as Ryoko had quickly lept onto the dresser in the room. She   
had her eyes closed and shook her head back and forth, "Too slow Tenchi dear." she   
taunted.  
  
Tenchi gave her a very irratated glare, "Ryoko, I'm tired, just give me a pillow."  
  
"Come and catch me if you can." she replied while laughing.  
  
And so Tenchi made another attempt to grab a pillow, and again missing. For the next 10  
minutes he had chased her around the room, each time he thought he caught her she'd   
end up phasing away and appearing behind him, laughing and taunting him. She was   
standing near the foot of the bed laughing when Tenchi suddenly jumped head on at her,  
knocking her onto the bed with him on top of her. She gave a startled yelp when he   
slammed into her, but managed to regain her bearings and hold the pillows up over her   
head while Tenchi was still on top of her reaching up trying to pull one away from her.  
  
"Isn't this more comfortable than sleeping on the floor?" she breathed hotly into his ear.  
  
Tenchi blinked a few times trying to figure out what she meant when he looked down   
and noticed he was laying on top of her. He saw desire blazing in her feline eyes as she   
gazed up at him, and his previously defeated hormonal urges began to make a roaring   
comeback as he felt her warm body beneath his. In an instant he rolled off of her   
and onto the floor, "Nevermind, I don't need a pillow." he nervously spoke.  
  
Ryoko groaned in frustration as she once again saw another opportunity slip through   
her fingers. She laid there for a few minutes before taking one of the pillows and tossing   
it at Tenchi, who mumbled a 'Thanks' and then turned out the lamp. She rolled over to   
the side of the bed which faced Tenchi and watched him for a moment as he tried to fall   
asleep. "Goodnight Tenchi." she said softly. A moment passed before Tenchi spoke,   
"Goodnight Ryoko." he replied warmly. Ryoko fell asleep that night cherishing the memory  
of feeling Tenchi laying on top of her, that moment of intimate closeness dancing through  
her mind as she slipped into the land of dreams.  
  
***  
  
Back on Earth  
  
***  
  
In a crowded mega-mall in downtown Tokyo, a galaxy police officer and a first princess of   
Jurai were stuck waiting in line for the cash register. As luck would have it they happened  
to go shopping on the same day as one of the biggest sales of the year. Currently Ayeka   
was stuck behind a rather large and smelly man who was wearing a T-Shirt that had   
"I'm a love machine" written on it. Ayeka cursed her misfortune at having to be stuck   
behind such an unsightly person.   
  
For the last few days Mihoshi and Ayeka had been digging out an area to plant in and   
trying to figure out what sort of things to put in their garden. Their little venture had   
gone off on a sour note when Mihoshi accidentally poured a bag of concrete powder on   
the dirt instead of fertilizer. Ayeka had to admit however, that despite Mihoshi's absent   
minded mannerisms, she really had a knack for planning out a layout for a garden. And   
while Ayeka did tire of her incessant chatter, she was grateful for her company. Mihoshi   
was a good help in keeping her mind off Tenchi's absence.  
  
"Oh! Ayeka, can we buy these chips please?" Mihoshi pleaded.  
  
Ayeka hung her head for a moment, "Very well Mihoshi, go ahead and buy them." she   
responded wearily.  
  
Mihoshi immediately tore the bag open and began muching on the chips, "Hey Ayeka,   
why don't we go out to a Karaoke bar tonight? It's not really very fun going alone..."   
Ayeka detected the downcast tone in which Mihoshi spoke. All this time I've been   
thinking about myself and how I should try to keep my spirits up when Mihoshi has  
been depressed over Kiyone's absence. I should really do something to help her out...   
"Alright Mihoshi, I'll go with you, I'm sure it will be...interesting." she said uncertainly.   
I shouldn't worry so much, I mean what's the worse that could happen?  
  
***  
  
On the planet Fladucia  
  
***  
  
A cool breeze swept across the tree covered hills as Tenchi stood at the edge of a   
ravine, drinking in the beauty of the scenery. The leaves on the trees were blossoming in   
a variety of colors, and wildflowers were sprouting up everywhere along the ground. He   
took a few deep breaths of the mountain air, savoring the serene atmosphere. He could   
hear the rustling of the leaves on the ground as Ryoko came up behind him.  
  
"Ready?" there was a touch of anticipation in her voice  
  
He turned around and nodded with a calm expression on his face. He then reached into   
his pack and tossed her a wooden bokken which she caught with ease. She studied it for  
a moment, trying to get a good feel for it. Tenchi had told Ryoko that the only power   
off-limits in this sparring match was her energy projectiles, anything else was fair game.   
  
He noticed how alive she seemed as she readied herself for their sparring session. She   
was decked out in her usual battle attire, and though her expression held but a slight   
grin, her eyes spoke volumes about her excitement. Tenchi began his pre-battle   
breathing excersizes and tried to clear any distractions from his mind. He stared at her   
with a blank expression, betraying no emotion, something which his grandfather taught   
him.  
  
Ryoko had watched enough of Tenchi's sparring matches to know what to expect. She   
knew Tenchi was waiting for her to get impatient or wait till she became unprepared.   
However she had readied herself well for this match and was not about to give Tenchi   
the upper-hand right away.   
  
After many long, silent moments, Tenchi charged forward with lightning speed, holding   
his bokken even with his midsection. Tenchi knew that the legs were usually the most   
undefended part of the body, so he ducked low and made a swing at her knees, but   
Ryoko easily blocked his blow. She then lept overtop Tenchi and swung around to   
bring her bokken on Tenchi's head, however he rolled forwards after she jumped and   
was well out of her range. Twirling around to face her again he saw her rocketing   
towards him. She made a series of furious and erratic swings at Tenchi. He gritted his   
teeth in concentration as he deftly parried her blows, he suspected she was intentionally  
trying to confuse him with her uncoordinated strikes.  
  
Indeed that was exactly what Ryoko was doing. She had studied the Jurian sword   
technique and thought she could exploit it's heavy emphasis on strict technical details to   
her advantage by countering it with a free flowing, unpredictable style. However much to   
her displeasure Tenchi seemed to have caught on and was using superb defensive   
tactics. Switching gears she phased back away from him and stood still, choosing to let   
him make an attack on her.  
  
Tenchi caught his breath as Ryoko stood there waiting for an attack. He knew he was   
outmatched when it came to raw power, but he had the better technique and could   
outsmart her. Deciding to try out a devious trick his grandfather played on him, Tenchi   
charged forwards towards Ryoko, only to pretend to trip and stumble on a rock. As he   
predicted, Ryoko charged forward and brought her bokken to the side of Tenchi's   
head...only to find Tenchi had blocked her blow and proceeded to spin towards her and   
made a thrust at her chest. Caught off guard she phased away, high above Tenchi.   
Looks like I'm going to have to pull all the stops out.  
  
Tenchi spun all around and looked above him, his body tensed awaiting her attack. A   
memory of something his grandfather told him came back to him, A true samurai uses   
all of his senses... He focused intensily on all the sounds around him, suddenly catching   
the faint sound of Ryoko phasing in behind him. He swirled around and blocked her   
overhead chop. He grinned when he saw her surprised expression, and decided to press   
his new advantage by executing a series of tight, orderly sword routines which had   
Ryoko back peddling.  
  
Deciding she couldn't keep up with Tenchi at the moment, she back flipped away and   
tried to regain her bearings. When she looked at Tenchi's brown eyes, it dawned on her   
just how much fun she was having. She had always loved the thrill of battle, and now   
she was sharing that thrill with the man she loved more than anything else. However   
she was getting slightly irritated that she couldn't seem to beat him. She gave him a   
devious grin, Ok Tenchi, let's see you handle this.  
  
Tenchi waited for Ryoko's assault, and watched as she blurred out of existence. Once   
again focusing on his hearing, he heard her phase behind him. And once again he spun   
around to parry her attack, yet this time she wasn't there. Twirling around again he   
caught a glimpse of her phasing away. She's toying with me. he realized. Tenchi   
wasn't sure what recourse to take to deal with her strategy, so he chose to try and ride   
it out.  
  
After phasing away several more times, she finally made her attack. She put as much   
force as she could on a furious slash at his midsection. Tenchi spun around to block her,   
but her bokken shattered his in half. She let out a triumphant shout but was shocked to   
see Tenchi leap backwards and pick up the other half of his weapon. She was so sure of   
her victory that when Tenchi rushed at her with a bokken half in each hand, she was   
totally surprised. She made a weak slash at Tenchi's legs only to have her bokken  
batted aside by the half of Tenchi's weapon in his left hand while his right hand stuck the  
other half up to her throat.  
  
He had a triumphant grin on his face as he stood up straight, "That was really good,   
Ryoko, you almost had me there." he spoke while breathing heavily.  
  
Ryoko still wore a shocked look on her face as she tried to comprehend how she just   
lost, she then shook her head and leveled a stern glare at him, "You got lucky."  
  
Tenchi just chuckled a bit and sat down on the ground, still catching his breath. Ryoko   
tossed her bokken on the ground and slumped down next to Tenchi, "So, do you wanna   
head back to the city?" she asked.  
  
He shook his head while gazing at the majestic hills, "No, I think I'll stay out here for   
awhile."  
  
Ryoko shrugged her shoulders, "Fine by me." she said while lying down on the ground   
next to him.  
  
Tenchi reached into his pack, took out a sketch pad and pencil and began drawing a   
scene of the hills spread out before him. "I gotta say Ryoko, this place is really..." he   
looked over and found she was sound asleep. A gentle smile played across his lips as he  
watched her peacefully resting among the gently swaying wildflowers, and he turned to   
a blank page in his sketch book and began a new drawing...  
  
***  
  
Earth  
  
***  
  
"If this ever gets out to the Jurai public, I'll be the laughing stock of the royal family."   
Ayeka groaned.  
  
Mihoshi patted Ayeka on the back, "Oh cheer up Ayeka, this isn't that bad."  
  
Ayeka looked over incredulously at Mihoshi, "Not that bad? WE'RE IN JAIL!" Ayeka put   
her head in her hands and began to think back to how they got there in the first place.  
  
It all started a few hours earlier, when Ayeka and Mihoshi had gone out to a Karaoke bar  
in the city. Ayeka was pleased that the establishment seemed like a fairly clean and   
respectable looking place. They seated themselves at a front row table and ordered a   
small drink. However when Mihoshi began to start talking about the various aspects of   
her favorite television show, that small drink became a large one. And when Ayeka heard   
the overly amateurish singers on stage making mockeries of the songs they sang, that   
large drink ended up being a whole bottle.  
  
It wasn't long before Mihoshi and Ayeka were completely blitzed. Ayeka had never really   
seen Mihoshi get really drunk before, so this was a new experience. Mihoshi was alot   
more open, and her mood swings more erratic. One minute she'd be crying over one   
thing, and then laughing her head off the next minute. The two of them shared some   
teary eyed, heart felt moments as well. After they finished another bottle, they both   
agreed that the current singers that night were woefully inept and they needed to show  
the crowd what real singing was.  
  
They both stumbled on stage and decided to sing a duet together. They picked Celine   
Dione's "My heart will go on." Neither one ever practiced the song, and in their current   
intoxicated state, it went without saying they did a horrid job singing it. When they   
finished, they were met with silence from the crowd. They thought they were so good  
that the crowd was speechless. One drunk woman in the crowd began to heckle them,   
and Ayeka was furious about her rude behavior, so she decided to, "teach her some   
manners."  
  
She wasn't exactly sure who slapped who first, but it only took a moment before a large   
section of the bar was embroiled in a fight. The memories of the fight were pretty hazy,   
but Ayeka was fairly confident that she didn't use her Jurai powers, they'd have alot of   
explaining to do if she started summoning power logs. Of course the police and bar   
security came and broke up the fight, and promptly hauled both her and Mihoshi to the   
police station. And for the last few hours they had been waiting for Nobuyuki to come   
bail them out. Strange thing was, Washu apparently was going to pay for their bail, and   
neither one could figure out why she was being so generous.  
  
Sorting through the various fuzzy memories, Ayeka couldn't help but focus on one   
conversation she had with Mihoshi earlier when they were drunk. Ayeka was telling   
Mihoshi about how it was her dream to one day rule Jurai side by side with Tenchi, and   
Mihoshi had asked a simple, yet for Ayeka, profound question, "What about Tenchi's  
dreams for the future?"  
  
Ayeka was speechless, for it dawned on her that she never thought about what Tenchi's  
hopes for his future may be. What if he didn't want to ever rule Jurai? He did turn down   
the throne after defeating Kagato, maybe he'd never wish to rule? And where would that  
leave her? She loved Jurai and her people, and she always dreamed of helping bring   
prosperity and peace to her beloved planet when she was Queen. She had always   
assumed that once Tenchi fell in love with her, that he'd be happy to take over Jurai, but  
now she wondered about that, she didn't want to force Tenchi into a lifestyle he didn't   
want.  
  
And the more Ayeka thought about it, the more worried she became. All indications were   
that Tenchi just wants to live a quiet life with his family, not to be leader of the largest   
empire in the galaxy. If Tenchi chose her, but didn't want the throne, would she abdicate   
her title to be with Tenchi? The very thought of being forced to choose between her love   
for Jurai and her love for Tenchi made Ayeka distraught. Clutching her aching head,   
Ayeka decided this was best thought about with a clear head.  
  
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Washu mockingly asked.  
  
Mihoshi promptly flung herself at the bars and began thanking Wahsu for saving them.   
"Miss, erm, little Washu, I wish to thank you for so generously paying our bail, I am   
indebted to you." Ayeka politely said.  
  
Washu waved her hand, "Don't worry about, now let's get you two out of here, it really   
smells in this place."  
  
During the ride home Ayeka was beyond embarrassed as Mihoshi began to recite the   
sordid details of their escapades to Nobuyuki and Washu. Not a moment too soon they   
arrived at the house, and Mihoshi and Ayeka both went off to their bedrooms to sleep off   
the effects of the alcohol.   
  
After watching them trudge up the stairs, a huge grin formed on Washu's face as she   
went back into her lab. She sat down and summoned her holo-top, after pressing a few   
keys, an image of Ayeka and Mihoshi behind bars came up on screen. She punched a few  
more keys and picked up a sort of cell phone, "Hello, Jurai Enquiror? Yes I'd like to submit  
a story..."  
  
***  
  
Fladucia  
  
***  
  
Tenchi was leaning up against the wall next to the bathroom door, "Come on Ryoko,   
hurry up and finish your bath, we gotta check out of this place soon."  
  
Through the door he could hear her muffled reply, "You can come in and wash my back if   
you want."  
  
Tenchi shook his head and went over to make sure they had remembered to pack   
everything. For the last 3 days on Fladucia they had went around the city and   
countryside visiting the various places of interest. Ryoko of course wanted to check out   
some casino's, Boy what a mistake that was. Tenchi recalled.  
  
***  
  
2 days earlier  
  
***  
  
"No." he said firmly.  
  
"Oh please oh please oh please Tenchiiiiii." she pleaded while giving him her best puppy   
dog eyes. Upon seeing this he let out a defeated sigh, "Alright Ryoko, just this one   
casino. And you'll only have a small amount of money to gamble with."  
  
Ryoko let out a squeal of joy and gave Tenchi a quick hug before dragging him into the   
building with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them. Tenchi was amazed at how the place  
looked on the inside. For as far as he could see there were all sorts of tables and   
machines set up, lights were flashing all over the place, it was overwhelming to the   
country boy from Japan.  
  
Ryoko rubbed her hands with anticipation as she stalked around, checking out the   
various games being played. Finally coming across a high stakes card game called Devils   
Delight, an evil grin formed across her face. She knelt down and picked up Ryo-ohki,   
Ok Ryo-ohki, you know what to do. she telepathicly told her. Ryo-ohki meowed in reply  
and scurried off, eventually bounding up onto the beams above everyone. When Ryoko   
got the affirmative that Ryo-ohki was in position, she put on her best poker face and sat   
down at the table.  
  
Elsewhere in the casino, Tenchi was growing frustrated as he wandered the halls   
searching for Ryoko. He had a sinking feeling she was going to get into some sort of   
trouble. After walking through what ended up being a fire exit, his ears picked up on   
something, "I got the cash here in this briefcase, you got the stuff?"  
  
Tenchi looked around and saw two people talking to eachother, one had a briefcase and   
the other had a large bag. "Yeah I got it right here." the man with the bag replied.  
  
Tenchi saw the two men exchange their items, and it dawned on Tenchi that this was   
some sort of drug deal. Right after realizing this, he saw that the two men turned to the   
side and saw him, "HEY! Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted. Tenchi saw the   
both men reach into their suits, and upon seeing this, he immediately grabbed for   
Tenchi-Ken to help defend himself...only to remember he left it at the hotel. Gulping, he   
saw only one option left, RUN!  
  
He reached for the doorknob only to find it had fallen off. Thinking fast he dove behind a   
dumpster just as they started shooting. Luck was on Tenchi's side as a drunk man   
happened to open the door to the fire exit from the inside. Utilizing his speed, Tenchi   
raced over and grabbed the drunks hand and pulled him inside before the door closed.   
Tenchi ran through the casino, trying desperately to find Ryoko so they could get out of   
there. He was at his wits end when he heard her familiar hearty laughter. Scouting   
around he saw her at a card table, with a rather large amount of chips in front of her. He   
raced over to her, "Ryoko, come on we gotta get out of here!" he hurriedly told her.  
  
She brushed him off with the wave of her hand, "In a little while Tenchi, I'm just getting   
started here."  
  
"Ryoko, some drug dealers with guns are after me, we gotta leave!" he whispered   
urgently in her ear.  
  
Ryoko was about the inquire as to what happened but Tenchi grabbed ahold of her arm   
and began to drag her away from the table. "Wait! My chips!" she shouted as she   
hurried back and poured her chips in a bag before going with Tenchi, "Let me just cash   
these in and then we'll go." she said.  
  
"Fine, just hurry up." he replied impatiently.  
  
Ryo-ohki hopped up on Tenchi's shoulder, and in his current state of anxiety almost gave   
him a heart attack. He was catching his breath trying to calm down when he spotted   
Ryoko striding back with a bag full of money. They were just about to leave when the   
casino security stopped them at the door.  
  
"Excuse me miss, you'll have to come with us. You too sir." one of the officers said.  
  
Ryoko knew she was busted and grumbled a few obscenities under her breath. Tenchi   
gave her a puzzled look as they were lead into the casino security department.  
  
***  
  
To the present...  
  
***  
  
We were lucky they allowed us to leave with just a permanent ban on coming back. I   
figured we'd be facing some criminal charges. Tenchi was broken from his thoughts   
when Ryoko finally came out of the bathroom, wearing her usual blue and gold striped   
dress.  
  
When she saw him she gave him an annoyed look, "Come on Tenchi, you gonna stand   
around all day or are we going to get going?" Tenchi rolled his eyes and grabbed his   
bags.   
  
When they arrived in the lobby to check out, the same green haired woman who was   
there when they checked in was at the counter. The receptionist gave them a warm   
smile as Ryoko handed her their room key, "I hope you both enjoyed your stay at the   
Ramadi hotel." Ryoko leaned in over the counter, "We certainly did enjoy ourselves,   
he's insatiable!" she playfully said. Tenchi was crimson faced as she pulled him out of the   
hotel and they went aboard Ryo'ohki.  
  
***  
  
Out in space  
  
***  
  
Tenchi and Ryoko sat on the bridge of the ship, taking one last look at Fladucia. Tenchi   
quickly rummaged through his pack, pulled out a camera and took a few snapshots, "I'm   
sure everyone back home will enjoy these pictures." he commented.  
  
Ryoko nodded her agreed as she walked over and put her hand on Tenchi's shoulder,   
"You better get used to those frozen dinners. It's going to be about a week before we   
arrive at our next destination." Ryoko noted.  
  
"Yeah that's one thing I'm going to miss about Fladucia, the food." he wistfully replied.  
  
He stood up and walked torwards his bedroom, "I'm going to go take a nap, I haven't   
been sleeping too well on the floor of that hotel."   
  
Ryoko watched him leave and sat back down again. She leaned back in her chair and   
closed her eyes, It'll be a week till we get to relax on the beaches of Terafin, it's been   
years since I was there. The last time I was there...  
  
***  
  
Flashback  
  
***  
  
A younger Ryoko sat at a table in the corner of a dimly lit bar. The place was lit with small  
flourescent bulbs, and almost half of them were broke. The place reeked of various   
alcoholic beverages and bodily oders, and there was loud, pulsating music constantly   
filling the air. Criminals mainly hung out at these bars, and this was one of the reasons   
Ryoko was there, because she was among her kind. She knew she was safe from the   
authorities here, practicly everyone who owned and frequented this bar had some sort   
of criminal record, so she wouldn't have to worry about being turned in.  
  
Even though she was only around 14, she was already drinking at these bars. She drank   
down the stinging liquid, slammed the glass down at the table, and quickly signaled the   
barkeep for another round. Her faithful cabbit companion was on the floor drinking some   
water out of a bowl.  
  
It had been a rough day, she was almost busted by the GP earlier and spent most of the   
day doing her best to evade them. She may not have been a class A-1 criminal yet, but   
she was gaining a reputation in the sector for her daring bank robberies.  
  
"Care for some company?" a deep voice asked.  
  
She quickly turned around to see who was bothering her. He was a young man, maybe   
early 20's, with long chestnut hair tied back in a ponytail. The place was too dark to get   
a read on his eye color. He was average height yet had a fairly strong build, she had to   
admit he was pretty handsome.  
  
Without waiting for an answer he sat down on the chair opposite hers. "A little   
presumptious aren't you? I didn't even say if I wanted you around." she asked in a curt   
manner.  
  
He leaned forward and smirked, "When I see something I like, I go for it."  
  
Just then her drink arrived at the table, the man seated opposite her stopped the   
barkeep, "Bring me one of those too will ya?"  
  
Ryoko raised her eyebrow at the man, he had some nerve, "So what do you want   
anyway?" she gruffly asked.  
  
He just leaned back in his chair and smiled, "I was just surprised to see a pretty girl like   
you sitting all alone."  
  
She was caught off guard by his compliment, she wasn't used to good looking men   
coming up to her and calling her pretty. She was just starting to become a woman, and   
everyone else just treated her like a little kid. Her thoughts were broken when he   
spoke, "My name is Gento, and it's a pleasure to meet you Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko gave him a puzzled look, "How did you..."  
  
He quickly interrupted her, "I saw it on the news. I heard about that bank you hit in   
Chefulia, that was pretty impressive."  
  
For the first time since coming into the bar, she smiled, "Thanks." was her simple reply.  
  
Over the next hour the two of them drank and talked, they traded stories about the   
places they've stolen from and various spaceship mechanics. It felt good to Ryoko to   
have someone to talk to for once. For years, she had been alone, with Ryo-ohki being the  
only companion she had. While during her earlier years she relished her independence,  
she now had started to grow lonely. Ever since puberty hit, her mind had began to   
wander. As embarrassed as she was to admit it, she would often watch romance movies.  
She'd wonder if she'd ever get to experience something like the love the movies depicted,   
and sometimes dream of some prince charming who would sweep her off her feet.   
  
She wasn't sure she even liked Gento. He was more than a pirate, he was also a   
murderer. He bragged about killing anyone who stood in his way, and even said he once   
tortured a man. She stole from banks for the thrill of it, but she never killed anyone, nor   
did she ever want to. He seemed to take pride in his violent way. Despite this, she   
still wanted some company, so she kept on talking to him.  
  
Eventually after finishing one of his drinks he leaned forward over the table, "How about   
we ditch this place. I could show you my new ship, it's an RSX-3000, brand new."  
  
Ryoko set her drink down and looked away, "I don't know...I should probably be leaving   
with Ryo-ohki." she said uncertainly.  
  
"Come on, I thought maybe you'd like to check out the engine system. You can leave   
right after taking a look at my ship." he responded.  
  
Her mildly intoxicated state didn't contribute to her thinking clearly, she relented and   
went with him to his ship with Ryo-ohki bouncing along behind them.  
  
Once onboard his vessel, Ryoko immediately began checking out the various console   
systems and the engine. Gento didn't say much but followed her around. When she'd   
look at him to ask him a question about the ship, she'd find him staring intently at her,   
which made her uneasy.  
  
Eventually Ryo-ohki began to telepathicly tell Ryoko that she was getting tired, "Well   
Gento, I gotta get going, my cabbit is getting tired." As she was starting to walk towards   
the exit, Gento stepped in her way, "You're not going anywhere, because the fun's just   
beginning." he stated in a serious manner.  
  
Ryoko just laughed a little and tried to walk past him, only to be forcefully grabbed by   
the arm, "I said...you're not going anywhere." he repeated insistantly. Ryoko was   
started to get scared now, and she tried to pry her arm free of his grasp, "Come on, let   
me go!" she demanded. He leaned in towards her face, "You know you want it you  
little whore." he whispered in her ear.   
  
She paled when she heard this and redoubled her efforts to escape, and he responded  
by punching her in the face, sending her slamming into a wall. Ryo-ohki became furious   
that someone was hurting her master, so she lunged at Gento, only to be slapped away.  
  
Ryoko got up off the floor and ran over to Ryo-ohki and picked her up, relieved to find out   
she was alright. When she looked up she saw Gento starting to unbutton his shirt. Her   
eyes widened in fear and she ran towards the door as fast as she could, but he grabbed   
at her again, this time tearing the top part of her dress. He kicked her against the wall   
and gazed lustily at Ryoko, who's upper body was now only clad in a bra. The fear he   
saw in her eyes only fueled his desire.  
  
Ryoko quickly stood up when she saw him advancing towards her again, "STAY BACK!"   
she shrieked, her voice cracking with emotion, and raised her hands with her palms   
facing him. He just chuckled and calmly strode over to her, yet he didn't walk two steps   
before Ryoko fired an energy blast at him, blasting a hole through his chest.  
  
He was thrown to the ground by the blast, and Ryoko knew he was dead. Her whole   
body was shaking as she stared at the lifeless body before her. She had never killed   
anyone before, now that was all changed. She became sick to her stomach looking at his   
corpse, so she quickly picked up Ryo-ohki and ran as fast as she could out of the craft,   
and immediately had Ryo'ohki transform into a spaceship to get as far away from there   
as they could.  
  
Ryoko hugged her knees to her chest as she stared blankly at the stars outside the ship,  
cursing herself for ever letting down her guard. She swore never again to trust anyone.   
She would fortify those emotional barriers she had been building for so many years. She   
didn't need any friends or family or lovers, she would continue her life alone, because she  
couldn't get hurt that way.  
  
***  
  
Present day  
  
***  
  
So much has changed. she realized. All those promises made long ago became dust in   
the wind when she met Tenchi. When she woke up that fateful day gazing up at his dark   
brown eyes, her emotional walls began to crumble. For in those eyes she saw only   
concern for her well being, not lust, or malice, but caring. The idea that someone cared   
about her safety touched her in a profound manner. He was the opposite of all the scum   
she encountered in those dark bars, he was good and decent.  
  
Opening her eyes, she looked around the silent bridge of Ryo'ohki, and could almost feel   
the shadows of her past threatening to overwhelm her. Even though the love of her life   
was sleeping a nearby room, those memories of a life long ago were ressurecting that   
cold lonely feeling she dreaded. Retreating to her room, she attempted to drown the pain  
of her past with a bottle of saki as she had done so many times before.  
  
End of chapter 3  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well, that was a nice, cheery end to that chapter, eh? I'm already hard at work on   
chapter 4 (sorry, no teasers!), so stay tuned. Don't forget to review this chapter though.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Table for two

Legal mumbo jumbo: I don't own any of these characters (except the ones I create   
myself), they belong to AIC and Pioneer corp. I'm not making a single measely penny off   
this story either.  
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 4: Table for two  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Out in the cold depths of space, a large fleet of vessels sailed through the heavens.   
Leading the group of ships was the flagship vessel of the Vhalid pirate clan. It was a   
splendid ship, custom built specifications dictated by the leader of the clan himself, he   
had named it the Emerald Dawn due to the ships color.  
  
***  
  
Onboard  
  
***  
  
A lone messenger stalked the halls of the Emerald Dawn, in his hands he held a message  
for the lord of the clan, Khadi Armina. Arriving at the door to his office, the messenger   
was promptly frisked by two guards that were stationed outside the door. With the wave  
of a hand they allowed him to enter.  
  
The room wasn't so much large as it was luxuriously decorated. It was filled with   
antiques and other priceless works of art. Seated at the large, ornate desk dominating   
the room was Khadi Armina. He was a middle aged man of average height and build, he   
had short, dirty blond hair and dull green eyes. While he wasn't an imposing looking  
man, his brilliance and ruthless streak were enough to strike fear into the hearts of   
many.  
  
The messenger immediately kneeled before his clans leader, "Lord Armina, I have   
important news."  
  
"Very well, state your information." he calmy replied.  
  
The messenger quickly began reading the note he held, "It appears that the pirate   
Ryoko and her partner were seen on Fladucia. At the moment they are headed in the   
general direction of the Terafin system."  
  
Khadi closed his eyes and smiled, "Send a message to the special operations chief, tell   
him to place all agents stationed at Terafin on high alert." The messenger quickly   
nodded and scurried out of the room. Khadi opened his eyes and turned his chair around  
to where he faced out the window, "The noose tightens..."  
  
***  
  
On the cabbit ship Ryo-ohki  
  
***  
  
Ryoko angrily turned off the television and let out a frustrated growl, "There's never   
anything good on." Just as she said this, she saw Tenchi come out of his room bringing   
out a box. "Hey, what's in the box?" she asked curiously.  
  
Tenchi opened it up and took out a chess board, "Oh, just a chess set. I'd thought I'd   
play against myself, grandfather says it's supposed to help my mental focus, but I do it   
because it's enjoyable." Ryoko quickly became dissinterested, as she was hoping he had   
brought out some sort of present for her.  
  
Tenchi stopped for a moment and looked at her, "You wanna play a game of chess with   
me? It'd alot more fun than doing it by myself."  
  
She was surprised by his question, "Ummm, no thanks, maybe another time." she   
answered uneasily. She didn't want to admit her reason for turning him down was   
because she had no idea how to play chess.  
  
Tenchi nodded his head and went back to setting up the pieces, "That's ok, I   
understand." he casually replied.  
  
Something about the way he said that got under her skin, "What's that supposed to   
mean?" she angrily asked.  
  
Tenchi looked up her with a puzzled expression, "What are you talking about?"  
  
She leveled him with a harsh glare, "You know damn well what I'm talking about! You   
think I don't want to play because I'm afraid of losing, is that it? Or you think I don't   
know how to play at all? Well I'll tell you something, I could kick your butt at chess if I   
wanted to, I'm just not in the mood."  
  
Tenchi shrugged his shoulders, "Fine by me." he simply replied.  
  
This only infuriated her even more, "You want me to play? FINE!" she stormed over to the  
seat opposite Tenchi and sat down. It only took a moment before she realized what she   
was doing, What was I doing?! I don't know how to play chess! I just HAD to be the   
tough girl didn't I? Well now I'll look like an idiot! I'll just have to play along, I'll copy   
whatever move he makes, that might fool him.  
  
She was broken from her thoughts when Tenchi spoke up, "Ryoko, it's your move."  
  
"My move? Why is it my move?" she nervously asked.  
  
Tenchi pointed at the board, "Because you picked the white pieces, and white always   
goes first."  
  
Ryoko let out a nervous chuckle, "Of course! I knew that."  
  
Sweat was beading on her forehead as she studied the board. She had seen Tenchi   
playing chess before, but it wasn't a game she was ever interested in, so she never   
payed any attention to any of the moves Tenchi made. Now she was regretting that.   
Biting her bottom lip she wracked her brain only to come up with a blank.  
  
"Ryoko...you don't know how to play chess do you?" he calmy asked with a half smile on   
his face.  
  
"W-what? Well maybe I don't...that is to say...I don't exactly...have any idea how to play   
chess." she finished in a defeated tone.  
  
Tenchi laughed a bit after hearing that, "That's ok Ryoko, I kind of figured. Do you want   
me to teach you how to play?" he warmly asked.  
  
She wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't exactly interested in chess, but the idea of   
doing it with Tenchi was appealing, "Sure, why not?" she responded.  
  
And so Tenchi began to explain the basic rules of chess and some strategies one might   
use. Ryoko didn't want to be embarrassed again so she did her best to pay attention.   
She actually found it alot more interesting than she expected. Before, it just seemed a   
really long and dull game, but once she started learning about it, she realized how much   
skill it takes to win.  
  
"Ok, now let's just have a little test game here. I'll make a move, and then I'll give you   
advice on which move you should make." Tenchi told her, and she nodded her agreement.  
  
Ryoko thought she might be able to hold her own against him, but she found that he   
constantly set up traps she would fall into. She finally thought she had him when she   
moved her queen to take his queen, yet Tenchi stopped her before she made her move   
and shook his head, "Nope, bad move. I would just use my knight to take your queen   
then. And without your queen I could maneuver towards your king for checkmate. See   
what you should have done was this..." He put his hand atop hers and guided it to   
where she should have placed her queen. However, chess was the farthest thing from   
Ryoko's mind as she gazed at Tenchi's hand holding hers, and she noticed with   
happiness that his hand was still lingering atop hers, even though he already showed   
her the correct placement of her piece.  
  
After guiding her to the correct move, Tenchi didn't even realize he was still holding her   
hand. He followed her gaze down to the board and finally saw this. I never noticed   
how soft her hands are... His mind snapped back into focus when he finished his   
thought and he removed his hand from hers. Clearing his throat, he continued his chess   
lessons, doing his best to avoid looking directly at her face. Ryoko gently smiled at him   
as spoke, her mind filled with delight. She knew it wasn't much, him holding her hand,   
but he never initiated physical contact, and the memory of how he had kept holding her   
hand was making Ryoko almost giddy.  
  
Later on, Tenchi declared the lessons were over and that next time they played, it'd be   
for real. Ryoko was eagerly anticipating testing her skills against his. She couldn't help   
but find it funny how excited she was about the prospect of playing chess, a few hours   
before she wouldn't have believed it.  
  
Tenchi stood up, stretching his arms, "Well, I'm pretty tired, I'm gonna turn in for the   
night."  
  
"But Tenchi, you said we could play a real game of chess." Ryoko pouted.  
  
"We can do it tomorrow, ok?" he tiredly asked.  
  
Ryoko crossed her arms and let out a 'hmph', "You're just trying to avoid playing me   
because you know I'll kick your ass."  
  
He just smiled at her, "We'll do it tomorrow, I promise." He bid her goodnight as he went   
to his bedroom.   
  
"Sweet dreams." she whispered under her breath as his door closed.   
  
***  
  
Four days later...  
  
***  
  
Ryoko studied the board with the eye of a hawk, intently focused on crafting the perfect   
move. She had him, she could smell it, she just needed one big move to finish him off. A   
plan emerged, and with a crafty smile she moved her rook into position. Yes, it would only  
be a few moves before Tenchi is defeated. She noticed with glee how his eyebrow raised   
after she finished her move, he must be stunned by her brilliant strategy. He examined   
his options for a moment before making his move...  
  
"Checkmate." Tenchi said simply.  
  
"WHAT?!" she shouted in angry shock.  
  
He began to point out her error, "See Ryoko, once you moved that rook you left your   
king..." she silenced him with the wave of her hand, "Yeah yeah yeah, I see it. I almost   
had you that time Tenchi."  
  
"Don't feel bad Ryoko, you know I still haven't ever beaten my grandfather at chess." he   
responded in a consoling manner.  
  
Ryoko straightened up and stared off at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at   
Tenchi, "That was Ryo-ohki, we're about to land on Terafin."  
  
He got up and went back to once again pack a bag for a planetside stay, "Hey, how long   
we gonna stay on this planet? I wanna know how much to pack this time." He asked   
over his shoulder to her.  
  
She put her hand to her chin for a moment, "Hmmm, let's do it for a week."  
  
***  
  
On the surface of Terafin  
  
***  
  
Once they landed at a suitable location, they made the journey through a beachside   
village called Waiku. Tenchi was much more comfortable in this type of small town setting   
than the huge metropolis of Fladucia. The buildings in this town were made out of a   
bamboo like wood and had thatched roofs. Ryoko pointed out a resort hotel up ahead   
and they went inside of it.   
  
Before they got to the counter, Tenchi stopped Ryoko, "Ryoko, this time, let me make the   
reservations." he wearily told her. She crossed her arms and gave him a mock frown.  
  
After reserving two rooms for a week, Tenchi went to his room and started unpacking.   
Before he barely got started however, Ryoko phased in wearing a small bikini, "Come on,   
let's hit the beaches Tenchi!"  
  
Trying hard not to focus on how much skin Ryoko was showing, he thought about her   
offer for a moment, "Well, I guess unpacking can wait for awhile."  
  
Sporting a smile, she hooked her arm in his and led him to the shore. Tenchi had to admit  
it certainly was a pretty marvelous looking beach, with crystal clear blue waters and soft   
white sand. A warm ocean breeze made it perfect for just lounging around. And he   
noticed with satisfaction how there wasn't that many people crowding this area either.  
  
Ryoko set down a bag she was carrying and rummaged through it, taking out a large   
blanket, an umbrella, and some sunscreen lotion.  
  
"Oh, I forgot my swim trunks, I'll be right back." But before Tenchi made a step, Ryoko   
grabbed his arm, "Allow me." she said before phasing out for a moment and appearing a   
second later with a pair of his trunks in hand.   
  
"Thanks Ryoko, but I need to have a place to put these on."  
  
Ryoko gave him a feral grin, "You can just change right here, I won't mind."  
  
Tenchi gave her one of his 'no-nonsense' looks and she grumbled under her breath a   
moment before pointing out a small changing room on the shore. Giving her a polite   
'thank you' he went to change. Once he returned he noticed Ryoko had set up the   
umbrella and was sitting on the beach towel. He sat down beside her and took a  
deep breath of the ocean air, he knew he was going enjoy staying on this planet.  
  
Ryoko opened up the sunscreen lotion and was about to apply it before deciding to have   
a little fun. She took the bottle and squirted a large blob of cream in her hand and began   
to sensually rub it in over her body, she watched with satisfaction Tenchi's eyes begin to   
widen. She arched her back and made moaning sounds when she started rubbing it in on  
her chest above her bikini top. She glanced at him and saw his eyes were transfixed on   
her and his face begin to redden slightly.   
  
Tenchi was short of breath and trying to get his mind back into focus when she kindly   
asked him if he'd rub some lotion on her back. Reluctantly nodding his approval, he took   
the bottle and maneuvered around behind her. She lied down on her stomach and waited  
for him to begin. At first he merely tried to gently apply it with as little rubbing as   
possible, but Ryoko noticed, "Come on Tenchi, you gotta really rub it in."   
  
"Ok." he weakly said. Still uneasy from her antics moments ago, he wasn't sure if he   
should be having any sort of physical contact with her right now in his current hentai   
state of mind. Taking a deep breath, he rubbed her back gently, but with some firmness.   
Ryoko let out a blissful sigh and muttered a few encouraging words to him.   
  
Tenchi had hoped once he started, he would relax and get used to it. However, rubbing   
her silky smooth back was only throwing his mind into further impure realms. Once he   
got to her lower back, his eyes kept focusing on her firm rear, only inches from his hands.  
Finally, he finished with her back and sat up, wearing a triumphant smile, happy to have   
finished.   
  
"Tenchi, you have to do the back of my legs now." she murmured sleepily.  
  
He almost choked on his tounge when he heard that. But taking another deep breath,   
he started by her feet, and began to work his way up her long slender legs. The higher   
he got, the more difficult it became to think clearly. Soon he was by her thighs, rubbing   
the lotion in by her bikini bottom only inches from her most private area, he was almost   
drooling by now. Panting, he stood up once he finished applying the lotion.   
  
"Mmm, thank you Tenchi, that felt great." Ryoko moaned while rolling over on her back.   
Her golden eyes twinkled and she wore a wicked smile as she caught sight of something,  
"Is that for me?" she asked sweetly while pointing to a large bulge in the front of Tenchi's  
swim trunks. He gasped and and stammered a few incoherent words before rushing off   
towards the water, trying to get as far away as possible.  
  
Ryoko couldn't help but laugh as she watched the crimson faced boy rushing into the   
water, Nice to know I have that sort of effect on him. she thought with a smile.   
Meanwhile Tenchi sat in the cool ocean water more embarrassed than he had ever been,   
How am I even going to show my face around her? He hung his head and beat himself  
up for ever letting his mind wander as it had earlier. It's gonna be a long week...  
  
***  
  
3 days later...  
  
***  
  
"Hmm, no no, I think the first one was better, no wait! The third."  
  
"Come on, will you just pick a dress? We've been here forever it seems." Tenchi   
complained.  
  
Ryoko paid no attention to him as she looked at herself in the mirror, "You know, I better   
just try on those other dresses we passed by earlier."  
  
Tenchi let out a defeated groan and slumped in his chair. While Ryoko went off to gather   
up some more clothes to try on, Tenchi began flipping through a very dull magazine about  
boating. His boredom was interrupted though when someone walked up to him, "Excuse   
me sir, you must be a visitor here on vacation. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Sheyla,   
head of the tourist department of Waiku." Tenchi looked up and got a look at the young   
lady.  
  
She was about his height and had long black hair and orange eyes. She had a good tan   
and by all standards would be considered a beautiful woman, "Hello, my name's Tenchi.   
Umm, how did you know I was a tourist?" he inquired.  
  
"That's easy, I could tell by your clothes." she casually replied while sitting down next to   
him.  
  
Sheyla tilted her head and twirled a long lock of hair around with her finger, "So tell me,   
how long you plan on staying in town?"  
  
Tenchi glanced around to make sure Ryoko wasn't in the area, "About 4 more days."  
  
She smiled at him and leaned in a bit closer, "I know all the great places to eat around   
here, maybe I could show you a few, hmm?" she asked in a lower, more inviting tone.   
Tenchi leaned back and began to sweat a bit, "I don't think..." before he could finish   
however, Sheyla was lifted up off the chair by Ryoko.  
  
"Just WHAT do you think you're doing with my Tenchi you little tramp?" Ryoko angrily   
growled at her while holding her up in the air with one hand.  
  
"Hey I didn't know he was with you." she nervously answered, it was obvious Sheyla   
was frightened by Ryoko's strength.  
  
Tenchi was getting annoyed by Ryoko's behavior, "Ryoko, stop it, put her down."  
  
"Fine." she simply said while rudely tossing her to the ground. Sheyla hit her head on   
the edge of a chair and cried out in pain, rubbing her head. Tenchi went over to see if   
she was alright, angry with Ryoko's rude manners, She's always doing this sort of thing,  
and I'm sick of it! Well I'm gonna teach her a lesson... Tenchi knew what he was about  
to do was almost suicidal, but he resolved to prove a point to Ryoko.  
  
"Sheyla, you know what, I'll go out with you tonight." he stated firmly.  
  
"WHAT?! I THINK NOT!" Ryoko shouted.  
  
Tenchi turned and glared at her, "Ryoko, I'm not your pet ok? I can go where I want,   
when I want, and I don't need your permission." he coldly stated.  
  
She was taken aback by this, and tried to offer some retort but Sheyla interrupted,   
"Great Tenchi! I'll meet you at The Chiguara around seven o'clock, it's casual dress, so no  
need to get a suit." she chirped as she stood up and strode out of the store.  
  
Tenchi crossed his arms and did his best to appear bold in front of Ryoko, but internally   
he was sweating bullets, he knew just how jealous Ryoko could be. "Tenchi, you can't   
go...I mean I don't wan't you to go...I mean I'm asking you not to go." she pleaded with   
him. But Tenchi shook his head, "Sorry Ryoko, my mind is made up."  
  
The next few hours were pretty tense, as Ryoko's emotions fluctuated from whiny   
pleading to more angry demands, but Tenchi was resolute in sticking by his choice. She   
suspected he was only trying to get back at her for the way she treated Sheyla, but   
Ryoko still didn't like the idea of him spending any time with that girl.  
  
In the bathroom, Tenchi was going through some mental struggles of his own, What   
am I doing? I know there's going to be trouble if I go out on this date. I mean I don't   
even really want to go out with Sheyla, I just want to show Ryoko that I'm not her lap   
dog. Oh boy there's gonna be trouble, I can feel it...  
  
He strode out of the bathroom to his room to find Ryoko sitting there on his bed gazing   
at him with her puppy dog eyes, "Please..." she pitifully moaned.   
  
Tenchi almost broke down and cancled his date when he saw this, but he mustered the   
courage to stay strong, "I'm sorry, I can't do it. Now listen, I don't want to see you   
showing up at this restaurant and causing trouble, ok?" he asked her firmly. Stopping at   
the doorway, he turned around and looked at her softly, "I hope you have a nice night   
Ryoko, and hey, we can go out to eat tomorrow, alright?" he hoped that might lift her   
spirits, but she just crossed her arms and looked away as Tenchi left.  
  
How can he do this to me? Well he's gonna pay for this that's for sure. Ryoko resolved.  
She felt like punching something or someone. Finding nothing to properly vent her anger   
out on, she angrily flipped the TV on and began channel chasing, not really paying   
attention to it when suddenly one show caught her eye...  
  
"Oh Mishra is only going out with Tergin to make Kontu jealous." One of the characters   
said.  
  
Ryoko's eyes lit up as inspiration struck, Of course! Jealousy! I never even thought of   
using that before. A devious grin formed on her face as she devised a plot to get back   
at Tenchi.  
  
She phased into one of her more revealing dresses and flew out of the hotel. She glided   
towards one of the busier cities nearby and spotted a local bar. Confidently stepping   
inside, she looked around to see if she could spot anyone of use, "Ok, I'm gonna need a   
man for tonight, any volunteers?" she shouted to the crowd. Instantly all the men of the   
establisment rushed up to her, and a large sweatdrop formed on her head. Quickly   
looking over each man, she found one that looked decent enough. He was a tall but lean  
man with shoulder length red hair and red eyes, "Ok, you, come on, let's go." she said   
while grabbing his arm and pulling him out. She could hear the dissatisfied groans of all  
the other men in the bar.  
  
"My name is Jekero." the surprised but happy man said.  
  
"Who cares." Ryoko quickly replied as she phased the two of them outside the hotel she   
and Tenchi stayed at.  
  
Jekero was a little stunned by the her traveling methods, but his mood changed when   
he saw where they were at, "Woah, already wanna get it on, fine by me babe."   
  
Ryoko rolled her eyes and started dragging him to The Chiguara, "In your dreams,   
moron. And my name is Ryoko, not 'babe', got it?"   
  
He just shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever you say, babe."  
  
***  
  
The Chiguara  
  
***  
  
Tenchi had just walked through the door when he saw Sheyla waiting for him, she smiled  
and came up to him, "You just wait here and I'll get us a table, it'll only take a minute."   
Tenchi agreed and leaned back up against a wall, taking a look around the place.  
  
Much to his chagrin, he saw a familiar mane of spiky cyan hair in the crowd, I told her   
not to come here, but I guess I'm not surprised she showed up.   
  
He boldly strode over towards her, "Ryoko, I thought I told you not to come here and   
cause trouble." he whispered to her in an annoyed fashion.  
  
Ryoko looked at him with a quizzical look on her face, then she smiled at him, "Oh hello   
there, Tenchi. Well, what a surprise running into you here. I'm just here with my date,   
Jekero." she motioned towards the man standing next to her.  
  
Tenchi's eyes widened, "He's your...date?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Ryoko nodded her head with a smile and hooked his arm with hers, "Come along Jek, I   
see a nice table over there. Oh and Tenchi, have a nice evening." she said cheerfully as   
she went to her table.  
  
Tenchi just stood there with a shocked look on his face as Sheyla called out to him from   
her table nearby. Snapping out of it, he went over and sat down with her, and noticed   
his table had a clear view of Ryoko and Jekero's table. He could see the back of Jekero's   
head and Ryoko's face clearly. Who the heck is that guy? Is he some old friend of hers?   
while Tenchi was pondering these things, Sheyla was trying to gain his attention,   
"Tenchi? I asked you if you thought this was a nice place."  
  
"Hmm? What? Oh, yeah, great place." he mumbled.  
  
The waiter then came up to their table and asked if they had decided yet.  
  
"Oh yes, I'll have the Flordin with the hot sauce, Horkun soup on the side, and a glass of   
Tepin Ale." Sheyla answered.  
  
"Very good madam, and for you sir?" he asked Tenchi. However Tenchi's attention was   
fixated on Ryoko's table and he didn't even notice the man ask him a question.  
  
"Umm, why don't you just give him the same, alright?" Sheyla told the waiter, he nodded   
and left the two alone.  
  
At Ryoko's table, she was getting irratated by Jekero's suggestive remarks and crude   
manners rather fast. She put up with it however when she glanced over at Tenchi and   
noted with glee that he was looking at them, It's working! she broke out in a huge   
grin and pretended to be interested in what Jekero was babbling about.  
  
When Tenchi saw Ryoko catch him staring at the two of them, he realized he needed to   
make an effort not to be noticed by her. Casting a quick glace he saw her smiling broadly   
and apparently engrossed in her companions comments, She seems to like that guy,   
but where the heck did he come from? I find it odd that she just happened to find this   
guy on the night I go out. I bet she's just trying to make me jealous, she probably   
doesn't even like that jerk. If she thinks her scheme is gonna work, she's wrong. As he   
finished his thought, their food arrived.  
  
"Oh this looks wonderful! I know Tepin Ale is pretty strong stuff, but I like to take a few   
sips during a meal, it really adds some kick." Sheyla observed.  
  
Tenchi smiled and nodded his head, "I don't drink anything alcoholic, so my glass of   
water will do fine." he noted as he began to eat his dinner.  
  
Ryoko cast a quick look over towards Tenchi but frowned when she saw him smiling and   
eating, That little tramp better not be trying anything with him. she silently fumed.  
  
"So anyways, I was like, totally drunk and she kicked me out of her place, I mean how   
messed up is that?" Jekero said while chewing his food with his mouth open.  
  
Ryoko was getting pretty revolted by his disgusting table manners as well, she didn't   
how long she could keep up this charade. She started laughing hard to try and get   
Tenchi's attention.  
  
Indeed it did just that, What did that bum say that was so funny? No, I won't let them   
get under my skin, I'll focus on Sheyla, she's a nice girl. Sheyla is smart, pretty, and...  
she's got a big piece of food stuck in her teeth. Tenchi put on a fake smile and tried to   
give her the impression he was paying attention.  
  
Over at Jekero and Ryoko's table, things weren't going too smoothly. After Ryoko began   
laughing out loud when he didn't say anything funny, Jekero got the impression she was   
mentally ill. However this only made him think he stood a better chance at getting her to   
bed. Even when Ryoko spelled it out to him that she'd never have sex with him as long   
as she was breathing, Jekero would brush off her refusals as 'Just the pills talking.'  
  
She restrained the urge to punch his lights out when she once again caught Tenchi   
peeking at her. She decided to kick things up a notch and leaned over the table to   
whisper into Jekero's ear that she'd rather be eaten alive by Delforun slime worms than   
have sex with him, and she kept her fingers crossed Tenchi would see her.  
  
Tenchi was just finishing his soup when he took another peek at Ryoko, She's really   
crazy if she thinks she's making me jealous, I mean...WHAT is she whispering in that   
jerks ear?! No, I refuse to let her distract me! She's just trying to get under my skin, and   
I refuse to let her distract me...  
  
"Umm Tenchi, why did you just drink that cup of hot sauce?" Sheyla innocently inquired.  
  
Tenchi's eyes bulged out of his head and his mouth felt like scalding lava had been   
poured in it as he realized what he just did. In a frenzy he grabbed for his glass of water   
only to find it empty, and he began to cough as the stinging sauce began to burn his   
throat as well.   
  
Seeing a glass of what looked like water in front of Sheyla, he lunged for it and   
immediately began to drink it, but Sheyla tried to stop him, "WAIT! Tenchi, that's not   
water..." Tenchi's face scrunched up as he spit out the drink all over Sheyla, "...that's the   
Tepin Ale."  
  
In a heat induced panic he got up and stormed towards the mens room, slamming the   
door open. He charged towards the sink and started filling up his hands with water to   
drink. He received quite a few odd looks from the others in the room.  
  
Ryoko didn't catch all of what happened, but she saw Tenchi charge towards the   
bathroom. She was concerned about him, but she didn't want to blow her cover just yet   
by making a fuss over him. Deciding to wait and see what happens, she turned around   
and picked at her food.  
  
Tenchi stumbled out of the bathroom several minutes later panting, his mouth still tingling  
but feeling much better. He was embarrassed and a bit angry as well, Ryoko is making   
a fool out of me! Well I've had enough, I'm going to find out once and for all what her   
scheme is, and later on I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind! He reasoned that if he   
could eavesdrop on them, he could get the proof he needed to expose her plan.  
  
At the moment he was looking at the back of Ryoko, and as he looked around he saw an   
empty table right next to theirs. Thinking that his luck was changing, he used his   
practiced stealth skills to sneak underneath the empty table without anyone noticing.  
  
Ryoko hadn't seen Tenchi come back from the bathroom yet, and she was growing   
anxious. And Jekero's unending ramblings were wearing her down. Finally snapping, she   
glared at him, "Listen you overgrown rodent, I won't ever have sex with you, and I won't   
ever see you again after dinner. I brought you here just to make someone jealous, I   
don't give a damn about your stupid bar brawls or that your girlfriend kicked you out. I   
will actually pay you money to shut up!" she angrily spat.  
  
After hearing this under the nearby Tenchi broke out into a smile, I knew it! I figured   
she was up something, I knew she didn't care about that stupid bum. Tenchi felt...  
relieved? He shook his head and told himself otherwise. As he was about to get out from   
under the table, a woman pulled out a chair and sat down.  
  
Tenchi froze in place as he realized what a situation he was in. He prayed to anything   
that would listen that he wouldn't be caught. However, those prayers went unanswered   
as the lady sitting at the table crossed her legs and her right leg bumped into Tenchi.   
When she didn't do anything right away, Tenchi thought maybe she didn't notice. Yet a   
second later, she leaned down and lifted the table cloth up, revealing an embarrassed   
Tenchi waving at her, "Hi." he meekly said.  
  
"AAHHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
The woman overturned the table and began beating Tenchi senseless with her purse,   
calling him a pervert and degenerate. Everyone in the restaurant looked towards the   
commotion. Ryoko's eyes widened in shock as she saw what was happening, for she   
hadn't a clue what was going on.  
  
Inbetween blows, Tenchi tried to explain himself, "I'm sorry miss! I wasn't trying to look   
up your dress, I was just trying to eavesdrop on someone!"  
  
Ryoko almost shouted for joy when she heard this, YES! He was jealous! He was trying   
to spy on us! wearing a triumphant smile she gave Jekero the money for her dinner and  
calmy walked over to Sheyla and paid for Tenchi's meal as well. She then went over and   
took ahold of Tenchi's hand and phased the both of them back to his hotel room.  
  
Tenchi looked around and noticed they were back at the hotel, he saw Ryoko standing   
there with an ear to ear grin and her hands on her hips.  
  
"You were jealous." she said simply.  
  
Tenchi crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling, "I was not! I was merely trying to   
prove what I had suspected, which is that you just dragged somebody there in an ill   
conceived attempt to make me jealous."  
  
"You were jealous."   
  
"I was trying to expose you and your silly schemes." he stubbornly insisted.  
  
"You were jealous."  
  
"You should've let me at least say goodbye to Sheyla. Though after spitting out a drink   
on her new dress, maybe it's for the best I didn't." he mumbled.  
  
Ryoko phased behind Tenchi and draped her arms around his neck, "You know what? It   
doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that you were jealous, which proves how   
much you love me." she happily whispered in his ear.  
  
A slightly blushing Tenchi slipped from her grasp, "Umm, if you don't mind, I'd like to get   
some sleep now." he nervously responded.  
  
"Whatever you say my Tenchi." she cooed before blowing him a kiss and phasing back to   
her room.  
  
Tenchi stood there staring at the spot she was just at before flopping down onto his bed,  
I think it's safe to say I won't be allowed into that restaurant again.  
  
***  
  
2 days later...  
  
***  
  
Tenchi and Ryoko were strolling along the beach together, just enjoying the scenery.   
Actually, Tenchi was going to walk alone, but once Ryoko found out, she insisted on   
joining him. They had heard storms were coming and would most likely drench the area in  
rain, so they decided to spend as much time out on the beach before the rains came, as   
the two of them would be leaving soon.  
  
While Tenchi was scooping up some sea shells from the sand, Ryoko put on her   
sunglasses and took a look around the beach. Something caught her eye in the distance,  
it was a person up on the shore in the bushes. But this person was wearing what looked  
to be a dark overcoat and hat, Not your typical beach attire. she observed. She   
gasped as realization hit her, and lunged at Tenchi, knocking him out of the way, "LOOK   
OUT!" she screamed.  
  
Just as she pushed him out of the way, a shot from an energy rifle went right where   
Tenchi's head was a second earlier.  
  
"What was that?!" A stunned Tenchi asked.  
  
Ryoko didn't answer him but instead flew towards the assassin as fast as she could. He   
took another shot which tore through her leg, she screamed out in pain but didn't stop.   
She formed an energy sword and plunged it into his chest, killing him on the spot. By   
now Tenchi was running up to where she was, still trying to figure out who was after   
them.  
  
"It was some bastard from the Vhalid clan." she grimaced and fell to the ground while   
clutching her wound.  
  
Tenchi looked at the corpse for a moment before realizing Ryoko was hurt, "Are you   
alright?" his voice was full of concern. He took a look at the injury, it was a fairly nasty   
looking shot to her leg, with alot of bleeding. He knew Ryoko had special healing abilities   
that should be able to heal it over a much shorter period of time than with a normal   
person.  
  
She gritted her teeth, "It'll heal."  
  
Tenchi took his shirt off wrapped it tightly around her injured leg, "Can you teleport us   
back to your room? You should be lying down and resting."  
  
"Oh don't worry, I'm fine." she tried to reassure him, but he could tell by the expression   
on her face that she was in a lot of pain, "Come on Ryoko, teleport us back to your room."  
he said firmly.  
  
Grumbling a bit, she touched her hand to Tenchi's and phased the two of them to her   
hotel room. She tried to stand up to prove she was alright, but once she put weight on   
the injured leg, she cried out in pain and started to fall to the floor. However Tenchi   
quickly caught her in his arms and lifted her up, "Like I said, you're going to get some rest  
while that wound heals." he said compassionately.  
  
Ryoko was too busy enjoying the feeling of Tenchi holding her in his arms to offer much   
protest. He swiftly carried her to the bed and gently set her down, "Now you stay here,   
alright? I'm going to get some guaze to wrap up your leg in. I'll be right back." In a love   
induced daze, she mumbled her quiet approval as he left.   
  
Ryo-ohki bounded up onto the bed next to her and offered a concerned meow, "Don't   
worry, it's just a scrape, I'll be back on my feet in no time." she confidently reassured her   
cabbit friend.  
  
***  
  
The next day...  
  
***  
  
Ryoko awoke to the sound of thunder and of a serious downpour. Still a bit groggy, her   
sensitive nose detected Tenchi's scent nearby, opening her eyes she saw him fully   
dressed and drinking a cup of tea. The night before, he insisted on staying in her room in   
case the assassins decided to come back and finish her off, of course the idea of him   
spending the night in her room was more than alright with her.  
  
"Good morning, I brought you some tea." Tenchi warmly greeted her.  
  
She yawned and muttered her thanks while taking the cup he offered her.  
  
Tenchi's expression turned serious as he went to the window and watched the pouring   
rain, "We should leave as soon as possible. They know we're here, and they'll only send   
more people after us."  
  
Ryoko felt at her wound, "Sounds like a good plan. And my leg is already healed up, so   
I'm ready to go when you are."  
  
Tenchi seemed surprised, "Don't you want to get some breakfast or a bath before   
leaving? You just woke up."  
  
"Better to be alive and grumpy than dead." she dryly replied.  
  
Ryo-ohki began to hiss and meow angrily, Ryoko picked her up and gave her a stern   
glare, "Oh put a sock in it! I know it's pouring down rain, but you're just gonna have to   
tough it out." Ryo-ohki slumped and let out a sad meow.  
  
***  
  
Later, out in space  
  
***  
  
Ryoko walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and ready for the day. While she   
was a little dissapointed they had to leave Terafin early, she knew it was for the best.   
She took a look outside the viewing screen and saw they were going right by the ice   
planet Icanus which was at the outer edge of the Terafin star system. The thought  
of that fridged wasteland made her shiver, for there was one thing she hated, and that   
was the cold.  
  
Her gaze wandered over to Tenchi, who was sitting down and reading a book. She   
considered trying a little playful seduction to liven things up, but in the end decided   
against that. She never got her breakfast that morning and her stomach was letting her   
know.   
  
She was on her way to the kitchen when she was telepathicly assaulted by a distressed   
alert from Ryo-ohki. The view screen changed to show a huge fleet of ships surrounding   
them. "Oh shit." she muttered. She sped towards the ships control crystal just as the first  
shot impacted them. Tenchi was jolted from his book and quickly lept up from his seat   
and gave Ryoko a questioning look.  
  
Her brow furrowed in concentration, "It's those damn Vhalid pirates, those bastards used  
the planets magnetic field distortions to help mask them from our sensors."   
  
A few more blasts rocked the ship, almost throwing Tenchi and Ryoko against the wall.   
Ryoko gripped the steering crystal and did her best evasive maneuvers to try and get   
them out of there. But just as she thought she saw an opening to go through, she caught   
sight of a massive ship, 10 times larger than any of the others.  
  
"The Emerald Dawn." she said in shock.  
  
"What's the Emerald Dawn?" He questioned.  
  
"I heard about it when it was being constructed, it was quite a ship in its day. Though a   
bit outdated now, it still can kick some serious butt." she gruffly muttered.  
  
Right after she said that, they both saw a bright light detatch itself from the Emerald   
Dawn, it didn't take long before they realized it was heading right at them.  
  
Tenchi gulped when he saw it, "That...doesn't look good." he said with a hint of gloom in   
his voice.  
  
Ryoko franticly took ahold of the control crystal and tried to steer hard to avoid it, "DAMN   
IT! It's locked onto us!"  
  
Tenchi felt an impending sense of doom as he watched the projectile speed ever closer   
towards them, "What now?" he asked fearfully.  
  
She looked into his eyes for what she knew might be the last time, and when she spoke,   
it was barely above a whisper, "I don't know..."   
  
And then it hit.  
  
  
  
End of chapter 4  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Authors Notes: *snicker* Don't you just love how I end my chapters? Sorry boys and   
girls, no spoilers for chapter 5! You'll just have to wait. As always, I hope you read and   
review, as feedback is greatly appreciated.  
  



	5. Agony on ice

Legal gibberish: I do not own any of the characters of Tenchi Muyo. I've created a few   
characters for this fic, and they belong to me. Tenchi Muyo belongs to AIC and Pioneer   
corp.  
  
Authors Notes: Another day, another chapter. I've decided this story will contain 7   
chapters, so we're coming down into the home stretch. Oh, and thanks to Tenko for   
pointing out that it's "Ryo-ohki" and not "Ryo'Ohki" ;)  
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 5: Agony on ice  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
On the control bridge of the Emerald Dawn, the captain, Ukuna, paces back and forth. He   
had received important orders from his clans leader that the Ryo-ohki would be flying by   
this planet soon. They had been waiting for some hours now, hiding around the planet   
Icanus, using the natural magnetic field distortions to help avoid any detection.  
  
Ukuna glances at a time reading, anxiously awaiting his foes arrival, when suddenly the   
navigations officer spoke up, "Captain! We've spotted the Ryo-ohki!"  
  
Lights flash all over the ship as they are put into battle mode. The bridge, which was so   
quiet moments ago, had burst into life.  
  
"Move slowly to their rear flank, let them think they have an escape option. They should   
fly right into us." Ukuna calmy ordered.   
  
The various battle report screens show some of the other ships of the Vhalid clan firing   
and closing in on the Ryo-ohki. As Ukuna predicted, they were surprised, and were now   
headed into the false 'escape hole' they had set up.  
  
Ukuna quietly reads all the data pouring in, "Increase speed to 6.8pps, get ready to fire   
on my command."  
  
"Captain! We are within range to use the Ion displacement cannon!" the weapons   
officer yelled.  
  
"FIRE!" Ukuna barked.  
  
The entire bridge watches in rapt awe as the white energy ball is fired and rapidly closes   
in on it's target, "Target has been locked onto, sir." the weapons officer noted.  
  
Everyone watches in silence as the energy ball curves hard to the right and races   
towards its target, a bright flash of light signals a successful hit. "Well done men, well   
done." Ukuna proudly stated.  
  
***  
  
Onboard Ryo-ohki  
  
***  
  
The ship was violently rocked as the blast hit, and Ryo-ohki cried out in pain as all power   
was lost. On the bridge, all lights went out as Ryoko was hurled into a wall by the impact.  
She could hear the anguish of her ship as it was reeling in pain, and it tore at Ryoko's   
heart. Ryo-ohki had sustained massive injuries, there were holes in parts of the ship,   
though the bridge section was still intact. Ryoko had been through crashes before, but   
she had a gut feeling that this time, she wouldn't survive.   
  
Fear began to overwhelm her as she stumbled about the suffocating darkness trying to   
find Tenchi. She called out to him, only to be met with the sound of her frenzied heartbeat.   
She fell against a wall as the ship began a downward spiral towards the planet. Getting   
back up on her feet, she was in a panic. Could Tenchi already be dead or was he merely   
knocked out?   
  
Ryoko had a sinking feeling she was on borrowed time now, and was desperate to find   
Tenchi. She had to hold him one last time, to be able to die in his arms would at least   
give her some joy in her final moments. Almost in tears she realized it was too late,   
"I love you Tenchi." she whispered.  
  
And at that moment, Ryo-ohki slammed into the surface of Icanus. The ship impacted the  
icey surface and immediately began to break apart. The pieces slid several hundred   
yards along the ground, leaving a trail of debris.  
  
Ryoko was lying face down in the snow, she was numb from shock and the cold. At first   
she thought maybe she had died and gone to hell, as she always did hate the cold. But   
she began to feel the pain of a broken arm, and hear the harsh winds blowing across the  
surface. Slowly and painfully, she lifted her head, and saw that indeed she was still alive.  
  
Tenchi...  
  
That one thought gave her the needed strength to slowly lift herself from the ground.   
Searching her mind to find Ryo-ohki, she felt her stomach drop when she could feel   
nothing, and she realized Ryo-ohki was dead. However, she searched harder and found   
the faint signal of an egg Ryo-ohki laid before dying.   
  
Clutching her arm, she hobbled off to find Tenchi. It was getting dark, and the snow was   
falling steadily. Searching, she saw the wreck nearby, and she was amazed to find that   
she had been thrown some 50 yards from the ship. She hobbled towards the wreckage   
and franticly searched for any sign of Tenchi.  
  
"TENCHI!" She screamed as loud as she could, but heard nothing but the howling wind.   
She glanced around the wreckage again, and it dawned on her that this was only a   
portion of the craft. She took to the sky and glided over to another section of the craft.   
Hurriedly she rummaged through the pieces trying to find him, finally, lifting a piece of   
metal, she saw him.   
  
He was lying face down on the ground, his head was bleeding badly, and he had   
numerous cuts and bruises on him as well. A lump formed in her throat and she went   
pale when she caught sight of this, Oh god... Dropping to her knees she gently rolled   
him over, panic was overtaking her entire body as she was shaking. She gasped and   
shed a tear when she saw his pale face, he looked like a corpse. Putting a quivering   
hand over his chest, she let out a labored sigh of relief when she detected his heartbeat.   
  
However, her relief was short lived as she knew this might not last long. Tenchi would   
die very shortly out in this frigid climate, so she needed to find some sort of decent   
shelter. Even then, she wasn't sure if he would survive, as the extent of his injuries was   
still unclear. She was sick with worry, yet the fact he still had a chance to live was giving   
her the needed strength to go on.  
  
She went over and dug through the snow and retrieved Ryo-ohki's egg, as they would   
need her when she hatched. Taking to the sky she soared through the falling snow. She   
realized that she may very well die out here in the cold, but she had to go on, for Tenchi's  
sake.   
  
Her feline eyes caught sight of what looked to be an inviting cave, swooping down, she   
went inside to explore. Checking out the interior, she noted with satisfaction that though   
it was still freezing cold, it offered protection against the hellish winds and snow.   
Teleporting back to the wreckage, she touched Tenchi's hand to hers and phased the   
both of them into the cave. She took his shirt and wrapped it around his bleeding head,   
cringing at the sight of his blood.  
  
He'll still die of the cold unless he gets something warm to wear. she glumly realized.   
The thought of his death put her stomach in knots and sent shivers througout her body.   
I have to stay strong... she took a deep breath before once more taking to the sky.   
She raced through the air faster than she ever had before until she caught sight of a pack  
of small, furry creatures similiar to foxes roaming the landscape. Forming an energy   
sword in her hand, she swooped down and killed them. Gathering up their bodies, she   
phased back to the cave.  
  
Flopping down on the ground, she once again checked Tenchi's vital signs, and was   
relieved to see him still alive. Sitting back against the wall of the dark cave, she took to   
the task of slicing the furry hides off of the animals she killed. It wasn't much, but she   
would be able to make a blanket for him out of it.  
  
After skinning the animals, she placed the furs overtop Tenchi, praying that this would   
help keep him warm. She wished she could find something to build a fire with, and just   
then inspiration struck, The wreckage... Teleporting to the crash site, she rummaged   
around looking for things to be able to burn. Her mind was still numb with shock from the  
recent series of events as she roboticly rummaged through the debris.  
  
She came across the remnants of Tenchi's room and continued her search. Lifting up a   
piece of metal, she caught sight of some canvas. Picking it up and brushing the snow off   
of the painting, her eyes widened in shock and her jaw fell open when she saw what it   
was. It was a painting of her sleeping among the wildflowers in the hills of Fladucia. She   
couldn't help but note the total contrast between the serene peaceful setting of the   
painting and of the turbulent hell they were going through now.  
  
It was at this moment that the reality of the situation fully sunk in for Ryoko. She fell to   
her knees and began to sob, her tears were freezing on her cheeks before they even fell   
to the ground. Her body was shaking from the cold weather and the chill her soul felt.   
She clutched her head as painful realizations tore through her, This is all my fault! If I   
hadn't insisted he come with me on this trip, he'd be alright. If I hadn't stolen that money  
from the cargo ship, he'd be alright. Because I was so damn selfish and stupid, Tenchi   
may die!   
  
She felt as if someone had reached into her heart and was squeezing it, crushing it in a   
vice like grip. To know that the one man she cared about more than her own life was   
dying because of her actions was unbearable. A thousand voices assaulted her, throwing  
accusations and taunts, tearing what fragile stability she had apart. But in the midsts of   
this internal chaos, a small voice of courage and of strength still sang, telling her that  
there was still hope, still a chance to make things right, still a chance to get out of this   
hell.  
  
She clenched her fists and stood up, "NO! I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN TENCHI!" she   
screamed at the sky.  
  
Ryoko forcefully grabbed some materials from the crash site and phased back into the   
cave. She set the pile down and lit it ablaze with her energy. Hugging her knees to her   
chest and sitting by the small fire, her gaze never left Tenchi. I swear to you Tenchi, I   
will do everything in my power to save you, everything...  
  
***  
  
Onboard the Emerald Dawn  
  
***  
  
Khadi Armina slammed his fist onto the table, "You fool!" he roared.  
  
He stood up from his chair and circled Ukuna, glaring at him the entire time, "I told you to   
disable their ship, and you go on and use a damn Ion displacement cannon on them!   
What the hell were you thinking?!"  
  
Ukuna stood as still as a board, sweat beading on his forehead, "I'm sorry my lord, I   
merely thought that because the mark of Vhalid was on them, that you'd want them   
dead." he nervously responded.  
  
This only enraged Khadi more, "BULLSHIT! You just wanted the fame of being the one   
who killed the space pirate Ryoko!" he shouted in Ukuna's face.  
  
Ukuna blinked a few times, "Well sir, it would be quite a prestegious thing." he quietly   
stated.  
  
Khadi glared daggers at him, "You incompetent fool! Do you realize what you've done?   
It's not that stupid wench I was interested in, it's that boy!"  
  
Ukuna looked at him questioningly, "My lord, what about thay boy is of importance?"  
  
"He's the crown prince of Jurai, that's what, he was the one who defeated Kagato. Do   
you have any idea how valuable he is? Do you realize the kind of ransom we could hold   
him for? Jurai would be willing to give us entire planets for his safety! And now you   
singlehandedly ruin EVERYTHING! Well one mistake is enough, as of now, I am assuming   
the control of this ship. I don't know why I ever made you it's captain in the first place."   
Khadi shook his head in disgust as he turned away from Ukuna.   
  
Pushing an intercom button, Khadi spoke into it, "Security, come in here and take Mr.   
Ukuna to the dungeons, he needs some time alone to think."  
  
***  
  
Icanus  
  
***  
  
Ryoko lied on the cold floor of the cave, staring blankly at the ceiling. She didn't know   
how long she had been lying there, but it seemed like forever. The small fire was now   
mere coals, and once again the inside of the cave was dark. She was haunted by the   
words Ayeka spoke to her before they left, "You are in charge of Lord Tenchi's safety."   
Some fine job I've done. I've made him a wanted man by the most powerful pirate clan in  
the galaxy, and now we're stranded here on this icey hell. She cast a weary glance over  
at the egg of Ryo-ohki, It's going to be days before it hatches, and I don't know if we   
can last that long.  
  
Closing her eyes, she noted unenthusiasticly that her own injuries had almost all healed  
up. She almost wished she still had those injuries, as if they would be some proper   
punishment for her. She reached over and picked up the painting Tenchi had made of   
her. Even though she couldn't see it in the dark, she still gazed at it, as if it would tell her  
something important. She liked to think that the attention to detail Tenchi put into that   
painting was some unspoken sign of affection for her. At this moment she needed   
thoughts like that to give her the strength to get through her troubles.  
  
Ryoko drifted off into an uneasy sleep that night, dreaming of her beloved who lay   
injured beside her.  
  
***  
  
Morning  
  
***  
  
Ryoko opened her eyes slowly, her mind still drifting in a half sleeping state. Images and   
memories quickly assaulted her mind, and she realized with dread just where she was   
and what was going on. She sat up and looked around the cave, noticing it was brighter   
than it had been before, Must be morning. Much to her chagrin she could still hear the   
snows falling outside the cave.  
  
Crawling over to where Tenchi was, she was happy to note his breathing was steady   
and calm. Brushing her hand across his face, she cringed when she felt how cold his skin   
was. It was then it dawned on her that some parts of her body were numb from the cold.   
I wont do Tenchi any good if I'm dead. I better get some more furs for a blanket of my   
own. Slowly standing up, she rubbed her eyes and wearily went out to hunt.  
  
***  
  
On the Emerald Dawn  
  
***  
  
Khadi sat in the plush captains seat on the bridge of his vessel. He glared at the officers   
around him, his eyes showing his displeasure at the recent turn of events. So many   
plans, so many dreams, all shattered because of one man.   
  
"My lord, our infrared scan of the surface has picked up the heat signals of the wreck.   
We've also spotted some signals that may be possible survivors of the crash."   
  
Khadi's eyes lit up as he realized his plan may not be dead yet, "I want a large   
contingent of soldiers to immediately go down to the surface to investigate. And this   
time, I want them ALIVE!" he shouted.  
  
***  
  
Icanus  
  
***  
  
Memories of days gone by, of dreams that never came to pass, and of nightmares yet to   
come. Those were the things dancing through the mind of Ryoko as she huddled into a   
corner of the dreary cave for the moment she called home. She had been through many   
crashes and difficult times before, but none of them even came close to this in terms of   
emotional pain. She looked over at the man she loved and felt an overwheming feeling   
of helplessness. His head wound had stopped bleeding, but the sight of the blood   
stained shirt wrapped around his head made Ryoko almost ill.  
  
Hanging her head, she knew her only hope was Ryo-ohki's egg hatching, but that would   
take a few days. Would he even last that long? Closing her eyes, she tried to push her   
dark fears aside and get some needed sleep. Just before she drifted off into an uneasy   
slumber, she heard footsteps...  
  
Snapping her eyes open she spun her head around only to come face to face with a high   
powered energy rifle. "Don't make a move! You two are coming with us." A guard   
shouted.  
  
She glanced around and noted there were at least 20 guards in the cave, some were   
placing Tenchi on a stretcher. She slowly stood up, glaring at the men around her, trying   
to figure out what their plans were, We had the mark of Vhalid on us, so why are they   
capturing us instead? Something fishy is going on... The guards took Ryoko and Tenchi   
outside the cave before signaling they were ready to be beamed aboard.  
  
***  
  
On the Emerald Dawn  
  
***  
  
Ryoko watched with apprehension as several of the guards took Tenchi to a medical   
ward. Though thinking it over, she realized that they were Tenchi's best hope at   
surviving. A guard nudged her onward down the hallway with his gun. She was lead   
down several levels to the prison section of the ship, still being closely watched by some  
10 guards.  
  
Quickly pushing her inside, they slammed the door shut, leaving her alone with her   
thoughts. She frowned when she heard the faint whir of an energy scrambling device, as   
she was unable to use her powers in this cell. The walls of the cell were a plain white,   
and the floor a dull grey, there was a small bathroom which you could barely turn around   
in, all in all it was about what you'd expect for a prison. Ryoko slumped down on the   
small cot in the room and let her mind drift, If those bastards harm Tenchi, there'll be   
hell to pay.  
  
She noted with some satisfaction that at least she was out of the cold now, and she   
could feel her body warming up. Wrapping herself with the sheet on the cot, she began   
to ponder just what options she had now. Suddenly, the door to the cell opened up, and   
a regally dressed man bearing the insignia of the Vhalid clan on his shirt entered, and   
following him came another man bearing the insignia of the clan but much more casually   
dressed.  
  
The man in the flowing robes stood ramrod still, and leveled her with an emotionless   
gaze, "Miss Ryoko, such a pleasure to finally meet you. I'll be brief, as I wouldn't want to   
waste any of your precious time. My name is Khadi Armina, and this here is my second in   
command, Hazuko. I'm here to ask a few questions regarding you and that boy who's   
been traveling with you."  
  
Ryoko stood up and glared at him, "No you listen to me. I want to get one thing straight,   
I want you to make a promise right here and now that you won't kill Tenchi."  
  
Khadi snorted and crossed his arms, "And just why should I promise you that? As you   
know, the mark of Vhalid is upon the both of you."  
  
Ryoko looked away and sat down again, "He had nothing to do with that cargo ship   
heist. That was entirely my idea, he didn't know I was going to do it. He's injured, and   
needs medical attention, I trust that in light of what I said, you'll do your best to heal   
him and then release him." she quietly stated.  
  
"I wish to speak with him when he's able, so indeed my medical staff will do their best to   
help him recover. Now, I wish to ask a few questions of you. Firstly, just what is your   
connection to that boy?" Khadi inquired simply.  
  
Ryoko crossed her arms and looked away, "He's merely an acquaintance of mine. I don't   
even really know him that well. He wished to do some traveling in space, and I was   
feeling a bit generous, so I obliged to let him come." she stated flippantly.  
  
"You seem to care very much for the safety of this...'mere acquaintance', any particular   
reason why?" he mockingly asked.  
  
"What can I say? I'm just a really nice person." she smirked in reply.  
  
"Oh yes, your humanitarianism is reknown throughout the galaxy." sarcasm was dripping  
from his voice as he spoke.  
  
"It doesn't really matter I suppose, you shall die according to the laws of the clan for   
your crimes immediately." he casually stated,  
  
Ryoko lept up, "Wait! I...have some information you'd find important. It's regarding...your  
rivals, the Yugo clan."  
  
Khadi raised an eyebrow and appeared interested, "Go on..."  
  
Sweat beads formed on her brow as she tried to come up with a suitable lie, "Well...I   
have sources that tell me that the Yugo clan is building a new base of operations on a   
distant planet. Construction is almost finished now, and if you were to attack them there,  
you could cripple them. If you want to know where they're at, you have to swear that   
once Tenchi is healed, you'll give him a ship and release him. I want your unconditional   
oath that no attempt will be made on his life after freeing him."   
  
Khadi put his hand on his chin and contemplated her remarks, "How do I know you'll tell   
me the truth?"  
  
Ryoko swallowed hard and looked at the floor, "Because, you can keep me on this ship   
as a prisoner until we get to their base. When I'm proven right, you'll release me, and if   
I'm wrong...you can kill me." she quietly finished.  
  
"Very well, I accept your proposal. I hope you enjoy your stay here." He regally stated   
before turning around and signaling Hazuko that they were leaving.  
  
When the door closed, Ryoko slumped on the cot and leaned against the wall. She knew   
she had signed her own death warrant, and that they would kill her when they found out  
she was lying to them. Hopefully by then, Tenchi would be far away and safe. Upon   
further mental examination, it dawned on her that Tenchi would probably try and make   
an attempt to rescue her. She wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. On the   
one hand, the thought of him putting his life in danger sent chills of fear down her spine,   
but on the other, the thought of him risking life and limb all to ensure her safety filled her  
heart with warmth.  
  
Outside her cell, Khadi and Hazuko marched down the long corriders of the ship. Hazuko   
cast a puzzled glance at Khadi, "My lord, may I inquire as to why you made that   
agreement with miss Ryoko? I was under the impression you felt that the boy was of   
importance." he respectfully asked.  
  
Khadi turned and grinned at him, "Of course, it's all very simple. I'm going to hold that   
boy for ransom, but Ryoko doesn't need to know this. We'll show her some fake images   
of him being 'released', and she'll never know the wiser."  
  
Hazuko nodded his understanding, "I see, excellent strategy my lord. And do you plan   
on releasing her if she's proven correct about the location of the Yugo clan base?"   
  
Khadi shook his head, "If she is telling us the truth, we shall still execute her. Besides,   
she's probably lying to us to buy time. However, she may be telling the truth, and   
because of that I am obligated to examine her claims. For it would be a truly glorious   
thing to be able to be able to hold the prince of Jurai hostage and destroy our biggest   
rival at the same time."  
  
Hazuko bowed politely, "Your brilliance is inspiring my lord."  
  
***  
  
The Medical Ward of the Emerald Dawn  
  
***  
  
With eyes closed, Tenchi Masaki drifted once more towards the realm of consciousness.   
He could hear voices speaking around him and the whirring and beeping of machines. The  
bright lighting of the room stung his newly opened eyes as he took a cautious look   
around him. Where am I? What happened? I remember I was on Ryo-ohki when we   
were hit...I can't remember anything after that.  
  
"Doctor! He's awake!" a nurse shouted.  
  
Looking to his left, he saw an older looking man stride in quickly and look him up and   
down, "Tell me my boy, how do you feel, hmm?"  
  
Tenchi by now had figured out he was in a hospital, "Well, I have a pretty bad headache,   
and my ribs kinda hurt." he groggily responded.  
  
The man glanced at a few monitors around him, "Hmm, I see. Well, just get some rest   
and you should be just fine."  
  
Tenchi began to lay back down again when recollection dawned on him, "Wait! Where's   
the woman I was with? Is she alright?" he quickly shouted.  
  
The doctor appeared irratated at his shouting, "Don't worry, she's perfectly alright. She's   
down in the prisons." and with that the doctor left.  
  
Tenchi exhaled a sigh of relief and fell back onto the bed, She's perfectly alright, she's   
just down in the prisons...  
  
"SHE'S DOWN IN THE PRISONS?!"  
  
Leaping up out of his bed, Tenchi twirled around and tried to figure out where he was. A   
concerned nurse came in after hearing him scream, "You should be lying down and   
getting some rest!"  
  
Tenchi franticly shook his head, "Where am I?"  
  
The nurse crossed her arms and glared at him, "You're onboard the Emerald Dawn, now   
stop messing about and lie down."  
  
The Emerald Dawn! They're gonna kill us! Tenchi scratched the back of his head as he   
tried to come up with a plan to get him and Ryoko off the ship. As he was contemplating   
this, two guards came in and spotted him, "Ah, I see the patient is up and about, good.   
Now, if you'll join us we're going to take you to your...living quarters."  
  
After spotting the two guards pointing guns at him, Tenchi reluctantly nodded and came   
with them. Trying to think back to lessons learned from the past, Tenchi desperately tried  
to figure out a strategy to get out of there. Unfortunately, he realized that at the moment   
Tenchi-Ken wasn't with him, and he had no other weapons to use besides his hands and  
feet.  
  
Taking quick glances at the two burly guards who walked along side him, he let out a   
frustrated sigh as he saw them watching his every move like a hawk. A very silly and far   
fetched idea popped into Tenchi's mind, and seeing no better choice, he decided to go for  
it...  
  
"Hey, what's that behind us?" he curiously asked.  
  
And much to his shock, the two guards immediately turned around. Seizing the moment,   
Tenchi spun around and used his leg to trip one of the guards, and then twirled about   
and used the palm of his hand to slam into the head of the other guard, knocking him   
against the wall. Quickly dashing over and retreiving an energy pistol, Tenchi rushed   
down the long corridors.  
  
Darn! I've never even used a gun before. I guess I've gotta use what I can to get us   
out. Now, the doctor said she was 'down' in the prisons, so I suppose I should find some   
sort of elevator and get to a lower level. He jogged down the cold, metallic hallways   
searching for sort of elevator when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a security   
camera. He carefully took aim at the camera with his gun and fired...and missed.   
Grumbling, he tried again, this time successful.  
  
Where the heck is that darn elevator! He angrily thought to himself. As if on cue, he   
heard a high pitched 'ding' behind him. Turning, he saw a door open up and two men   
walk out down the path he had just come from. Sneaking over, he noted joyfully that   
indeed that was the elevator. Now, which floor? I'll just pick the lowest.  
  
  
Moments later, the door opened and he found himself in a very dark and noisy area of   
the ship. A very large man strolled on over and spotted him, "What the heck is a med bay  
patient doing down in Engineering? What are you from the looney bin?"   
  
Tenchi nervously chuckled and scratched his head, "Uhh, sorry about that. I...need my   
medication, and my doctor was visiting someone in the prison section. Any idea what   
floor that is?"  
  
"Yeah, two floors up."  
  
***  
  
Floor 14, Prisons  
  
***  
  
The door to the elevator opened up and Tenchi cautiously peered out down the halls.   
Exhaling in relief he trotted down the halls, searching for Ryoko's cell. Ok, which cell is   
hers? Is it that one? Or this other one...or that one...or...oh damn there's dozens of   
them! Smacking himself on the head, he realized he was going to have to try each one...  
  
Meanwhile, Ryoko was nervously pacing back and forth in her cell, anxiously awaiting   
news of Tenchi's condition. She had been left alone since Khadi and his second in   
command left, leaving her totally in the dark as to what was going on. She was confident  
that the high tech medical equipment onboard would be easily able to help Tenchi  
recover, but there was still a nagging doubt in her mind.  
  
She was so engrossed in her thought, that she almost didn't hear when Tenchi softly   
knock on her cell door.  
  
"Is there someone in there named Ryoko?" he quietly asked through the door.  
  
"TENCHI!" Ryoko shouted, and flung herself towards the door, as if to try and glomp him.  
  
"Well, I guess this is right door." was his muffled reply.  
  
Ryoko was beaming with joy, "Oh Tenchi I knew you would come and save me!"  
  
There was silence for a moment before he spoke again, "Umm Ryoko?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you have any idea how to open this door?"  
  
Ryoko promptly face-faulted to the floor, "You mean you don't know how to open it?!   
Why the heck did you come down here unless you knew how to free me?!"  
  
"Sorry, guess I wasn't really thinking." was his timid reply.  
  
Tenchi sighed and decided to try his only option at the moment. He fired a blast right at   
the keypad next to the door, instantly frying it. Sparks flew out of it as the door to her   
cell swished open. Tenchi was instantly pounced on by Ryoko, knocking him to the floor.  
  
Ryoko was rubbing her cheek against his, "My hero..." she dreamily mused.  
  
"Come on Ryoko, we don't have time for this, we've gotta get out of here." he   
stammered out nervously.  
  
Helping him to his feet, she gave him her trademark seductive smile as she noticed that   
his hospital gown was failing to cover up his rear end, "Nice ass." she casually remarked.   
Tenchi's eyes widended and he spun his head around, and turned crimson when he   
caught sight of his state of undress.   
  
Ryoko patted him on the shoulder, "Come on, we don't have time to get a new wardrobe,  
let's get moving." Grumbling his agreement, he ran off down the halls, making sure she   
stayed ahead of him.  
  
***  
  
The bridge of the Emerald Dawn  
  
***  
  
"ESCAPED! HOW?!"  
  
The guard was sweating profusely as he tried to explain to Khadi what happened, "Well,   
my lord, the prisoner surprised me and my comrade as we escorted him to a cell."  
  
Khadi clenched his fist in anger and was shaking with anger, "How...could...you...let...  
this...HAPPEN?!"  
  
The guard hung his head in silence.  
  
"Security, take these two disgraces and execute them, they are worthless." Khadi calmy   
ordered.  
  
Khadi slowly turned his seat around to where it faced the viewscreen. Reaching into his   
pocket, he pulled out the Tenchi-Ken, You'll be coming for this won't you, prince of Jurai?  
I'll be waiting for you...  
  
Elsewhere on the ship, Ryoko and Tenchi had run into some trouble. Energy shots flew by  
as they ducked around a corner, "Tenchi! You distract them with some cover fire, I'm   
going in after them." Ryoko confidently stated.  
  
Nodding his approval, Tenchi peeked around the corner and began firing at the crowd of   
guards as Ryoko phased in and out of existence, evading the guards shots. Summoning a  
large ball of energy, she hurled it at the group and smirked when she saw the explosion   
scatter them everywhere. Signaling the all-clear to Tenchi, they continued down the   
narrow pathways.  
  
"Ryoko, do you know what happened to the Tenchi-Ken? I had it with me when we   
crashed, did you do anything with it?"  
  
Ryoko shook her head.  
  
"Damn, guess it's somewhere onboard." Tenchi angrily muttered.  
  
Ryoko stopped in mid flight as something dawned on her, "Tenchi, we're going to have to  
take control of this ship. Ryo-ohki is dead, she left an egg but that's still on Icanus, and   
it'll be days before that hatches. There's a whole fleet of fighter vessels with this group,   
and if we try to use an escape craft, we'll be toast."  
  
"Well, guess we'll have to find the control room. Any idea where it is?"  
  
Ryoko put her hand to her chin and looked at the path that split up and went two   
different ways, "Got a coin to flip?"  
  
***  
  
Later  
  
***  
  
Panting, Ryoko and Tenchi raced down the hallway, having just dealt with another large   
contingent of the ships security, "Let's try this door..." Ryoko muttered before blasting a   
hole through it.  
  
They were met with an emormous group of soldiers and a grinning Khadi Armini sitting in   
the captains seat, "Come to get your toy back, prince?" he taunted while holding up   
Tenchi-Ken.  
  
Ryoko caught everyone off guard by instantly firing a barrage of blasts at the soldiers in   
the room. Tenchi ducked behind a chair and fired a few shots at the guards. Ryoko was   
weaving and bobbing around, phasing all over the room and making quick work of the  
troops. She smirked when she saw how confused and inept they were, This is a cinch!  
Her smug mood was shattered when she saw Khadi ignite his own energy sword and   
leap towards Tenchi.  
  
"TENCHI LOOK OUT!" she shrieked just before Khadi brought his sword down at Tenchi.   
Luckily, Tenchi had heard Ryoko's warning and rolled out of the way.  
  
Khadi stood there frowning at them, "You two have gone far enough. Prince of Jurai, I   
challenge you to a duel. If you win, you shall gain your freedom, if I win, you become my   
prisoner." with that said, he tossed Tenchi-Ken over to Tenchi who caught it with ease.  
  
"Why are you doing this? What do you want with me?" Tenchi demanded.  
  
Khadi shook his head in disgust, "You're so dense. Don't you realize the riches Jurai   
would give me in return for your safety?"  
  
Tenchi glared at him, "So this all about power? Give it up! You can't beat the both of us!   
Just let us leave in peace."  
  
Khadi's response was to rush at Tenchi with his sword ignited, issueing a battle cry.   
Ryoko tensed and prepared to jump in to help Tenchi when he spoke up, "Ryoko! Stay   
back, this is my battle, I'll duel him alone." he confidently stated while blocking Khadi's   
attack.  
  
She wanted desperately to aid Tenchi, but she chose to respect his wishes and watch   
for now. If Tenchi looked like he was loosing, she'd interfere in an instant.  
  
The two warriors blades clashed in a brilliant display of sparks. They attacked and   
counter-attacked, sometimes wearily circling eachother, other times furiously slashing at   
eachother. Tenchi had the edge in skill yet Khadi was fighting in a rage, pressing his   
attacks furiously.  
  
Meanwhile, Ryoko crept away from the battle, and was punching in various commands   
for the ship, quickly taking short glances at the two combatants in the middle of the room.  
  
[Ion displacement cannon charged] A monotone robotic voice spoke.  
  
With an evil grin, she pressed the fire button, watching in glee as it snaked towards one   
of the fighter vessels that were with the Emerald Dawn. Impact was made and a brilliant   
flash of light indicated a direct hit. Now, for the rest of the group...  
  
Meanwhile, Tenchi and Khadi were still battling intensely. Tenchi crouched and held his   
blade over his head, blocking a swing made by his opponent. Quickly springing up, he   
pushed his blade aside and made a quick swipe at Khadi, slashing him deep across the   
chest. Khadi cried out in pain and stumbled away, glaring insanely at Tenchi.  
  
"NO! I will not allow you to defeat me! If I shall die, than you shall as well..." and with   
that, he opened up a panel on the captains seat and pressed a red button.  
  
[Self Destruct sequence engaged, 5 minutes to detonation.]  
  
Tenchi quickly looked at Ryoko questioningly, but she gave him a reassuring look, "Don't   
worry Tenchi, just keep him busy while I finish off these ships. We'll have plenty of time."   
and with that, Ryoko pressed a few more keys, raining blasts upon the neighboring pirate   
ships nearby.  
  
Khadi grinned and adjusted a knob on the captains seat.  
  
[Self Destruct sequence modified, 1 minute to detonation]  
  
Tenchi and Ryoko went pale after hearing this. Not wanting to waste any time, she flew   
over and grabbed Tenchi's hand, phasing them down to a lower level.  
  
"Now, I think the escape pods were this way." she quickly said while pointing down a   
hallway.  
  
Tenchi grabbed her arm before she could fly off, "No, I think they were *this* way." he   
said while pointing in the opposite direction.  
  
They both stared at eachother for a second, wracking their brains trying to figure out   
which one was right, when a group of doctors and nurses rushed in and opened a door   
right next to them, "Come on! The pods are this way!" one of the nurses shouted to the   
group.  
  
"Guess we were both wrong." Tenchi mumbled before being pulled through the door by   
Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko dragged him quickly into a small pod and slammed the door shut, "Now let's get   
the heck out of here!"  
  
[10 seconds to detonation]  
  
With lightning speed, Ryoko pressed a flurry of buttons and started the engines up.   
Slamming the throttle forward, the ship began to exit the hangar.  
  
[5 seconds to detonation]  
  
Both were sweating profusely as the small ship sped away from the Emerald Dawn,   
neither one knew just how large the explosion would be. Ryoko cast a nervous glance at  
Tenchi, who did the same, "You think we made it?" she quietly asked.  
  
Just then a massive explosion occured behind them, the detonation almost engulfed the   
small craft, yet they narrowly escaped the blast.  
  
"Yeah...I guess we made it." a pale faced and sweating Tenchi squeaked out.  
  
Ryoko let out an exhausted sigh of relief, "Well, I guess we should head down to Icanus   
to pick up Ryo-ohki's egg now. You know there might be some clothes of yours down   
there, I kinda get the feeling you won't want to go clothes shopping wearing that   
hospital gown."  
  
***  
  
Earth  
  
***  
  
A serene calm hung over the Masaki household that day, with cheery moods and light   
hearted conversation being the norm. Ayeka sat quietly sipping some tea in the kitchen,   
enjoying this odd peace. Her relaxation was disturbed when she heard someone   
knocking at the door. Curiously wondering who would be visiting, she slid the door open  
and was shocked at who she saw.  
  
"Nagi..."  
  
  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Authors Notes: Whew! Another chapter up and finished. Chapter 6 is an important   
chapter so I'm going to be working extra hard at making sure it's done right. As always,   
feedback is adored, you all don't know how much of an inspiration you've been to me,   
thanks! 


	6. Lonely dancing

Legal Notes: Tenchi Muyo and the characters in it belong to AIC and Pioneer corp.   
I'm not getting a single dime for making this fic.  
  
Authors Notes: I don't think anyone wants to see me ramble on any more, so let's get   
right to the fic.  
  
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 6: Lonely dancing  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Nagi stood at the doorway of the Masaki house, draped in her cloak, her cabbit by her   
side. Her ruby eyes stared coldly at the princess who stood in front of her, "Hello miss   
Ayeka, I must say I'm not terribly surprised to find you here. Ever since you ran away   
from the palace people have been wondering where you've been. However, you're not   
the one I'm looking for right now, so I'd advise you to step aside and try not to get   
involved."  
  
Ayeka stood firm, her shocked expression giving way to a smug one, "Well miss Nagi,   
I'm sorry to tell you that you're wasting your time. Ryoko isn't here, and the last time   
I saw her was before Kagato captured me."  
  
Nagi raised an eyebrow at hearing this, "Is that so? Well then you won't mind if I take a   
look around here then. Ken-ohki, go see if you can sniff out that flea bitten cabbit of   
Ryoko's." Ken-ohki excitedy bounded off to search for his beloved Ryo-ohki.  
  
Ayeka calmy stepped aside, "As I said before Nagi, you're wasting your time."  
  
Nagi ignored her and prowled around the Masaki residence, startling Sasami in the   
process, "Oh hi there Nagi! I didn't expect to see you around, umm is there anything we   
can do for you?" Sasami nervously asked.  
  
Waving her offer aside, Nagi searched the entire house, checking for any sign of the   
space pirate she was hunting. Ken-ohki hopped over to her and sadly shook his head.   
Nagi shook her and head and sighed, "Well, looks like she isn't here afterall. I guess I'm   
not too surprised though, she's probably dead anyway. Hell she had one foot in the   
grave when she went to take that boyfriend of hers to the Jurai palace."  
  
Ayeka was puzzled by Nagi's last comment, and was about to inquire as to her meaning   
when Mihoshi merrily strolled in the house and spotted Nagi, "Oh hi there miss Nagi!   
Wow nice to see you again!" she cheerily greeted.  
  
Nagi briskly walked right by her, "Well, if Ryoko isn't here, then I might as well get going."  
  
"Yeah Ryoko took Tenchi out to space for a vacation, sorry you missed them." Mihoshi   
casually remarked.  
  
Ayeka groaned and clenched her fists while Nagi spun around with a grin, "She took   
Tenchi out on a vacation did she? Funny, I was given a different story by the princess   
here. Well, I guess all this country air really messes with a Jurain's memory. Come on   
Ken-ohki, let's get moving!"  
  
Just as Nagi was preparing to leave, Ayeka rushed up to her, "Wait! Please, whatever   
you do, promise you won't harm Lord Tenchi." Ayeka pleaded.  
  
"Sorry, no promises. If he gets in my way, I'll have to bring him down." she stated coldly   
before being beamed aboard her cabbit ship.  
  
Ayeka watched with fear and worry as Ken-ohki soared into the heavens. Saying a silent   
Jurai prayer for Tenchi, she turned around and sat down on the couch. Despite her worry,  
there was something else bothering her, a comment Nagi had made in passing.   
  
Just as Ayeka was comptenplating this, the Shrine Cleaner 4000 rocketed through the   
door, knocking it off it's hinges. Following it was a dirt covered and hysterical Washu, she   
summoned her holo-top and furiously slammed a series of keys. Looking up and noticing   
the flying broom was still tearing through the house, knocking things over, she let out a   
frustrated scream, "WHY WON'T YOU WORK?!"  
  
Glancing over, Washu saw a calm Mihoshi munching happily on some cookies. Closing her   
eyes and feeling a huge sense of shame wash over her for what she was about to do,   
she walked over and tapped Mihoshi on the shoulder, "Mihoshi, could you...do something   
for me? I just want you to tell my Shrine Cleaner 4000 to stop what it's doing." she   
quietly grumbled.  
  
Mihoshi gave her a huge smile, "Sure little Washu! You know I always like helping you   
out." she sprung up and walked over to where the broom was furiously sweeping the   
door, "Broom, stop." she commanded.  
  
The broom immediately stopped in mid-air and fell to the floor. Washu was muttering   
obcenities under her breath as Mihoshi once again baffled her. Meanwhile, Ayeka was   
still struggling with questions, and she figured if anyone could help answer them, it was   
Washu.  
  
"Miss...I mean little Washu? I have something to ask you. I couldn't help but wonder   
what Nagi meant when she said that Ryoko had 'one foot in the grave' when she took   
Tenchi to the Jurai palace. Could you shed some light on her comment?" Ayeka politely   
asked.  
  
Washu didn't appear to pay her much attention as she was closely examining her   
invention, "Oh, that. Well, you might remember when Kagato took you, he had injured   
Katsuhito and Ryoko in a battle. It seems that he used some sort of dark Jurai power on   
her, and it was slowly killing her. She tried to hide it from everyone, but of course a   
brilliant mind like mine easily saw through her. Anyways, I told her she needed medical   
attention, but she refused and said she promised to take Tenchi to the palace."  
  
Ayeka was now even more puzzled, "Tenchi let her take him even though she was   
gravely injured?"  
  
Washu shook her head while she was still working on her device, "No, she never did tell   
Tenchi. She said something about not wanting to worry him. In the end though, her   
foolish choice actually ended up saving her. It seemed that whatever power Kagato   
used on her dissapated once he was killed, so she lucked out again." she casually   
remarked.  
  
Ayeka quietly thanked Washu and walked out to the living room. Her mind was swirling   
with a thousand thoughts, and an uneasy feeling permeated throughout her being.   
Ayeka knew there was only one logical explanation for Ryoko's actions, and that was   
true love. Ryoko had loved Tenchi so much she was willing to sacrifice herself all to  
aid him.   
  
This flew right in the face of everything Ayeka told herself regarding Ryoko. For so long   
now, she had told herself that Ryoko didn't truely love Tenchi, and that she only lusted   
after him. Ayeka had believed that destiny brought her to Tenchi, and that Ryoko was   
merely an obstacle on the road to fate. She thought that Tenchi would one day see   
through Ryoko's amorous ways and choose the woman who truely loved him, which   
Ayeka had long believed was only herself.   
  
Now however, she had to accept that Ryoko's feelings for Tenchi were sincere and ran   
just as deep if not deeper than her own. No longer was this a simple matter of right and   
wrong, good versus evil, love versus lust. The tangled web of emotions was woven more   
complex than Ayeka had anticipated, and now all was in doubt. And deep down, that   
feeling that had been stewing in the pit of her stomach ever since Tenchi left only grew,   
that feeling that change was in the air.  
  
And Ayeka knew that this wind of change was not a favorable one for her.  
  
***  
  
Icanus  
  
***  
  
Tenchi sighed and looked at the small pile of items on the frozen ground, "Well, at least   
we were able to salvage some stuff from the wreckage."  
  
Ryoko tossed aside a few charred books, "You should be thankful you found a few good   
clothes to wear."  
  
Tenchi's gaze wandered around the icey cave he had stayed at a short time ago. Ryoko   
had told him what kind of injuries he had, and it amazed him that he was able to survive   
in this harsh climate. He frowned when he noticed his sketch book had been burnt up   
badly, and as he tossed it aside, his eye noticed a painting that had survived.  
  
Ryoko was rummaging through the items, finding almost everything was destroyed. Much   
to her delight, she did however find out that a case of saki had survived, she thought it   
must have been fate. Ryoko was about to say something when she noticed Tenchi   
staring at the painting he had made of her.  
  
"I'm glad this survived the crash." he said softly while gazing at the painting.  
  
A mischievious smile crept up and Ryoko's face as she heard this, "You know, I could   
pose for you any time you like Tenchi. Maybe you could do a few nude works."  
  
Blushing, Tenchi tried to change the subject, "Come on Ryoko, let's get out of his place, it   
kinda gives me the creeps. Especially when I see that shirt soaked with my blood."  
  
Nodding her agreement, she began to load the items on the escape pod they had.   
Checking her link with Ryo-ohki's egg, she reasoned it'd be about 2 days before she   
hatched. And when it hatched, she'd celebrate with that case of saki...  
  
***  
  
2 days later  
  
***  
  
"Alright! It's great to be back flying with Ryo-ohki, ain't it Tenchi?" Ryoko happily   
exclaimed.  
  
Tenchi smiled and relaxed in the co-captains seat, "Yeah, it sure is."  
  
Ryoko snapped her fingers and took ahold of the control crystal, "I better make the   
reservation for our next hotel now, the place is usually pretty booked up."  
  
"What planet we headed to next?" Tenchi curiously asked.  
  
She turned and gave him a grin, "It's not a planet we're going to Tenchi, it's a space   
station. It's the reknown Kunink station, it's situated right by a gorgeous nebula, you   
have to see it to believe it Tenchi, it's got everything! You can shop, sleep, and eat in 5   
star restaurants, all in the cool climate controlled safe confines of the station."  
  
"Wow! Sounds like fun." he enthusiaticly replied.  
  
A bit of static could be heard as Ryo-ohki initiated contact with the station, "You've   
reached the Kunink station, what can I do for you?" a femine voice asked.  
  
"We'd like one..." she caught Tenchi's stern glare, and sighed, "make that two rooms, in   
the economical section. One under the name of Ryoko and one under Tenchi Masaki.   
We'll be arriving in 5 days." she grumbled.  
  
"Just a moment...very well miss, we just happen to have two rooms left. We're looking   
forward to your stay with us." the voice chirped before clicking off.  
  
"You know Tenchi, the Kunink station is also home to the Ying Malai restaurant, it's   
considered the highest class restaurant in the galaxy. The roof of the entire restaurant is   
made of up glass, and you can see the beautiful, colorful nebula above you." She let out   
a blissful sigh as she imagined it, "I wish I could eat there, but they'd never let someone   
of my reputation go into it. But, they do have other pretty nice places we could eat at   
instead."  
  
Ryoko spun the chair around and picked up a crate of saki bottles next to her, "Now, it's   
time to celebrate the rebirth of Ryo-ohki!"  
  
***  
  
Later...  
  
***  
  
The newly hatched Ryo-ohki soared through the cold depths of space, it's inhabitants   
both grateful to be rid of the crammed escape pod they previously were in. While Ryoko   
was joyously celebrating this rebirth by drinking herself into oblivion, Tenchi was in his   
room celebrating a different birth.  
  
The smell of vanilla incense wafted throughout the small bedroom that belonged to   
Tenchi on the ship. And on the floor he sat crossed legged, deep in thought. Calmly, he   
lit a candle next to him and closed his eyes, reciting a prayer for the soul of his departed   
mother. It so happened that day was his mothers birthday, she would have been 39 had   
she been still alive. Like on every other anniversary of her death or birth, Tenchi couldn't   
help but ask the eternal of question of 'why?'. His grandfather had said all things happen   
for a reason, and while there were times thoughts like that helped, many other times   
he'd find himself frustrated with the lack of an answer to his question.  
  
He picked up a photo he always carried with him of his mother, and looked at it sadly.   
She was so young, she should still be alive, with all of us back on Earth. He wondered   
what his mother would think of all those girls at the house battling for his affection.   
Would she be shocked by their sometimes violent behavior? Would she try and set him   
up with one of them? He shook his head with a frown, he knew he'd never know the   
answers to these questions.  
  
While he was deep in thought, a highly intoxicated Ryoko stumbled in, carrying a half   
empty bottle of saki. "Mmm, there you are my Tenchi." she purred before draping herself   
around Tenchi.  
  
Tenchi's snapped open and he immediately turned his head away from the smell of her   
breath, "Ryoko, why don't you go sleep off that alcohol, ok? I'm kinda busy." he said in   
an irratated fashion.  
  
Ryoko paid him no attention as she went over and sat on the bed, "You know, I   
remember, *hic* when I first got Ryo-ohki, I was about....8 years old I think." she   
drunkedly muttered.  
  
"Ryoko, could we talk about this another time?" he asked exhaustedly.  
  
"Oh come on Tenchiiiii, it's a really good story." she whined. Tenchi sighed and blew out   
the candle and sat down on the bed next to Ryoko, he knew he wasn't going to get out   
of this.  
  
She took a swig of the liquor before speaking again, "Anyways, I was 8 years old. And...  
I was living out on the streets you know since my parents died in a car wreck. I hadn't   
had *hic* ANYTHING to eat in like 2 days, and...you know I think I did have a little   
something to eat out of a trashcan the day before that, but it wasn't much....well   
anyways, there was this big, fat, ugly salesman selling these *hic* eggs. And I thought   
they were food, because I was really hungry, so when the salesman was talking to   
some skinny old man, I snuck around and snatched an egg. Well I ran out into an alley,   
*hic* and I started to crack open the egg, and out comes this adorable little furball. Well,   
we *hic* bonded instantly and she's never left my side since then." she finished happily.  
  
Tenchi was surprised by her openess in discussing her past, usually she would never talk  
about that sort of thing, She was living out on the streets when she was 8 years old?   
As he contemplated this, Ryoko caught sight of the picture Tenchi had of his mother.  
  
"Hey! Who's this girl? She *hic* better not be some secret girlfriend of yours Tenchi!"   
she demanded while pointing at the photo.  
  
He took the picture from her hand, "Ryoko, that's a picture of my mother. Today is her   
birthday, she would have been 39."   
  
Ryoko's shoulders slumped, "Oh, sorry about that." she responded in a downcast   
manner.  
  
"That's ok." he said simply. Glancing over at the inebriated space pirate next to him, an   
idea dawned upon him, "Say Ryoko, what were your parents like?" he asked cautiously.   
He felt a little ashamed for taking advantage of her intoxicated state, but this question   
had nagged at him for some time.  
  
Ryoko's eyes became distant and a gleam of anger could be seen in them, "I hated   
them." she coldly stated.  
  
Taking another gulp of the saki, she continued, "My parents lived in this little shit hole in   
the slums, they were hooked on drugs and booze. *hic* They spent all there money of   
drugs, and they couldn't even get me any decent clothes or food. Of course, *hic* I   
doubt even if they had money to spend on me that they would. My mom used to *hic*   
say I was...the biggest mistake she ever made. And my...my father, he would...hit me,   
alot, and my mom never gave a damn when he beat me." she quietly finished. She   
stared at the bed silently, and tears began to fall from her eyes.  
  
Tenchi inwardly kicked himself for bringing up such a painful subject, he gazed at her   
worriedly, hating himself for causing her pain. Deciding to help her, he placed an arm   
around her shoulders, "I'm sorry Ryoko, I had no idea..." he softly apologized.  
  
Surprised by his tenderness, yet craving more of it, she turned towards him and buried   
her face in his chest, wraping both arms around his body, "When I was little, I used to   
stay up nights trying to figure out what I did wrong, what I did to make them so cruel to   
me. I tried to be better, hoping they would care for me, but it...never worked." she   
began to sob as she finished.  
  
Closing his eyes in anger and frustration at himself and her parents, he began to rub her   
back and hold her while she cried. How could anyone ever be so cruel to their child? No   
child deserves that kind of life! And stupid me had to dredge up those memories because   
I was curious. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the ex space   
pirate as she soaked his shirt with her tears. While it may have been a bit awkward to   
be holding her instead of pushing her away, Tenchi knew she needed his comfort, and he  
wasn't going to deny her that.  
  
He gently rocked her back and forth, giving her a few soothing words, and slowly her   
sobs faded away, and she eventually began to snore lightly. Slowly, he laid her down on   
his bed and pulled the covers up overtop of her. His concerned gaze was focused on the   
now sleeping woman on his bed, she seemed so broken, such a shell of her usually   
proud self. He gently wiped away a few tears still on her cheeks with the back of his   
hand, his touch lingering on her soft skin for a few moments.  
  
"Sleep well." he softly wispered.  
  
Taking a jacket he had on his dresser, he left the room and went out to the bridge to   
sleep. Rolling up the jacket, he flopped down on the cold hard floor of the ship, and let   
out an exhausted sigh.  
  
"I wish I could do something to help her feel better." he muttered to himself.  
  
Just as he said that, he heard a soft meow and the viewscreen flickered to show what   
looked like the dossier of Ryoko. Curiously, Tenchi sat up and took a look at it, unsure as   
to the cabbits motives. Then, a section of text was highlight and began to blink, it was   
the date of Ryoko's birth. Wait a minute, her birthday is less than a week away!  
  
A smile formed on his face as he thought he found the answer to his question, "Thanks   
Ryo-ohki."  
  
***  
  
Morning  
  
***  
  
Ryoko drifted into the realm of conciousness uneasily with a throbbing headache,   
frowning at her discomfort, she rolled over and tried to block the pain out in order to get   
more sleep. Then, her sensitive nose caught the scent of someone familiar. Upon   
smelling the scent of Tenchi, she snapped her eyes open and looked around the room,  
and was shocked to find herself in his bedroom, on his bed.  
  
What happened?  
  
Clutching at her pounding head, she struggled to find the memories of the night before.   
Her jaw dropped open when the incidents of the previous night flooded back to her. She   
inwardly berated herself for her extreme show of emotion hours before, furious at herself  
for displaying such weakness in front of Tenchi. However, while her mind may have  
been furious, her heart was singing a different tune. A part of her couldn't help but feel   
an intense warmth from the knowledge that Tenchi had held her tenderly in his arms and   
comforted her in her time of distress. Yet, her stubborn pride refused to let her admit this   
to herself.  
  
Pulling herself together, she strode briskly out onto the bridge, trying to convey a sense   
of confidence. She stopped still when she saw Tenchi sleeping on the floor of the ship,   
using his jacket as a pillow. Her eyes softened upon seeing this, and she went over to   
phase him to his own bed. However, just then he woke up.  
  
Rubbing his eyes, he saw Ryoko hovering over him, "Oh, *yawn* good morning Ryoko.   
Did you sleep well?" he groggily asked.  
  
She stood up straight and narrowed her eyes at him, "Of course I did! Why wouldn't I   
get a good nights sleep?" she gruffly asked.  
  
Blinking a few times in confusion, he tried to find a response that wouldn't anger her,   
"Umm, no reason, I was just being polite."  
  
"Well I'm perfectly alright, I'm better than alright in fact. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must   
be off to make breakfast." she stated before striding towards the kitchen.  
  
Tenchi shook his head, Ryoko isn't fooling me, I know what she's trying to do. She's   
letting her pride guide her, and I wish for once she'd stop being so afraid to open up   
when she's sober. I guess there isn't much I can do though. Sitting up, he prepared   
himself for another day sailing through the stars.  
  
***  
  
5 days later  
  
***  
  
The impressive Kunink space station loomed in the viewscreen on Ryo-ohki, it was   
backdropped by a gorgeous nebula of varying colors. Tenchi and Ryoko stood side by   
side as the ship docked in the hangar bay, each one carried their own bags in one hand.   
  
Marching through the enormous station, Tenchi was struck with a sense of awe. Glancing   
at all the various lifts and pathways to go, he was utterly confused about which way to   
go. Ryoko nudged him in the ribs and pointed him towards the hotel reception counter.  
  
After checking in, they decided to check out their rooms. When Tenchi had heard Ryoko   
reserve two rooms in the economical section, he assumed they were budget priced and   
mediocre in quality. What he found however, was a large and spacious room nicely   
decorated, Wow, I wonder what their high priced rooms are like?  
  
Sitting on the comfy bed, he turned on the radio that was on a nightstand next to his   
table. He was surprised to find the alien music not too different from the stuff he listened   
to on Earth. He began to unpack his bag when Ryoko opened the door and bounced in   
with Ryo'ohki following close behind, "Hey there Tenchi! So what do you think of these   
rooms, hmm?"  
  
"I gotta say I wasn't expecting them to be this good." he said sincerely.  
  
"Well, I knew there was NO way we were going to be able to reserve one of their royal   
suites so late. Anyways, I stopped by because I wanted to show you around a few of the   
places here."  
  
Tenchi's shoulders slumped, Darn! I wanted to go shopping for her birthway which is   
tomorrow. His thoughts were broken when Ryoko took ahold oh his arm and began to   
drag him from the room, "Come on Tenchi! We've got places to go and sights to see!"   
she excitedy exclaimed.  
  
***  
  
Later  
  
***  
  
Tenchi slumped onto his bed and yawned loudly, totally exhausted from the days   
activities. Ryoko had insisted on taking him clothes shopping since so many of his clothes   
were destroyed in the crash of Ryo-ohki. Of course, that was a long and fairly tedious   
ordeal, then Ryoko dragged him out to a small diner to catch a quick bite before taking  
him to a long movie. After all this, Tenchi was dead tired, and he longed for a good nights  
sleep, yet just as his eyes began to close, realization struck, Oh no! I haven't even   
gotten anything for Ryoko's birthday yet! I might not get a shot to get her anything   
tomorrow, so I better go out shopping tonight.  
  
He tried to shake off his exhaustion and get ready for yet more shopping, he took a   
deep breath and strode out the door to began his journey. Standing at a large   
intersection, he cleared his mind and tried to remember whether Ryoko had ever told   
him something she desired, excluding him. Coming up with a blank, he chose to browse   
the various shops the station had.  
  
Tenchi stood at the jewlery department and silently inspected the numerous items on   
display. He frowned when he couldn't find anything appropriate for her. He did see one   
ring that really reminded him of Ryoko, but that was an engagement ring. Shaking his   
head in defeat, he left that store.  
  
And so Tenchi continued his long and exhaustive search, and at every corner, he couldn't   
seem to find something just right for her. His feet were aching and his eyes were almost   
half closed, he knew he needed a break. Slumping down on a bench, he put his head in   
his hands and groaned loudly. Just then, he overheard some conversation by some  
people passing by.  
  
"Oh Honlin! I can't believe we're really going to be eating at Ying Malai's tomorrow!" a   
lady happily exclaimed to her companion.  
  
Ying Malai, that's that restaurant Ryoko was talking about awhile back. His head   
snapped up as realization dawned upon him, Of course! I remember her telling me that   
she's always wanted to eat there! Beaming with a smile, Tenchi stood up and marched   
towards the elevator lift.  
  
With a renewed sense of optimism and energy, Tenchi emerged from the lift at the top   
floor. He marched confidently to the reservation counter next to the door to the   
restaurant. After waiting in line for a good 15 minutes, he arrived to find a very smug   
looking short man with a pencil thin mustache.   
  
"Hello sir, I'd like to make a reservation for two people for tomorrow night." Tenchi   
politely asked.  
  
The receptionist began to laugh hysterically, "My god man! What sort of hallucinagens   
have you been taking? You think you can reserve a room at Ying Malai's one night in   
advance? If you were someone of notable status that may be possible, but the soonest   
a commoner could get a table would be in...oh about 2 years. Of course we must do an   
extensive backround check to make sure you have the proper credentials to be allowed   
in. We don't let any riff raff with a fat wallet get a table at Ying Malai's."  
  
Tenchi's shoulders slumped and he was about to walk away when something occured to   
him, "Hey wait! You said I'd have to be of notable status to get in, right? Well, if I told   
you I was the crown prince of Jurai would that help get me a table?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Now I KNOW you're taking hallucinagens! If you're the crown prince, then I'm first   
princess Ayeka!" he arrogantly stated.  
  
Tenchi reached into his jacket and pulled out Tenchi-Ken, "Look, here is the Tenchi-Ken!   
The heir to the thrown Yosho had it, and I'm his grandson."  
  
"Yes that's a nice little toy you have there, now if you'll excuse me, some sober people   
would like to pass through." he waved Tenchi away with his hand.  
  
Walking away frustrated and depressed, Tenchi was at a loss. Then if by some stroke of   
fate, an older man regally dressed walked out of the restaurant and spotted Tenchi, "By   
the tree's! I don't believe it! The crown prince is here!" he exclaimed before giving a   
formal bow to Tenchi.  
  
Tenchi looked at the man curiously, pondering who this strange man was, suddenly   
recognition dawned upon him, "Count Rujlo? Is that you?" Rujlo was a Jurian nobleman  
he had met back on Jurai after the Kagato incident.  
  
The man stood up and gave Tenchi a large smile, "I'm honored you remember me your   
highness."  
  
Tenchi wasn't pleased with what he was about to ask, but he was desperate, "Umm,   
Count Rujlo, I have a favor to ask you. See, I wanted to reserve a table for me and a   
friend for tomorrow night. Seems that he wouldn't believe me when I said I was the   
prince. I'm really sorry to trouble you like this."  
  
Rujlo nodded his head with a smile, "I'd be happy to help."  
  
Rujlo marched over to the receptionist and gave him a stern glare, "You there! I hear   
you denied the crown prince of Jurai a table at your restaurant?"  
  
The man paled when he heard this, "W-what? Oh, well I didn't...I mean I wasn't sure   
if..."  
  
"Nevermind, just let him reserve a table for two for tomorrow night, and I'm sure he'll   
forgive you for your insulting behavior." Rujlo stated boldly.  
  
"Oh! Of course! Right away!" the little man exclaimed nervously.  
  
Tenchi was a bit embarrassed by the scene that was being caused, but even still he   
went up to the counter. "I'd like to reserve for tomorrow night, for me and my friend." he   
said in a polite manner.  
  
"Very well your highness! Now, who exactly is this friend of yours?"  
  
"Her name is Ryoko."  
  
"Ryoko...the space pirate Ryoko?! But, but, she's a criminal!" the receptionist shouted.  
  
"WAS a criminal, she's been pardoned by Jurai." Tenchi corrected.  
  
"But still, she...isn't of suitable character to dine in this establishment."  
  
Tenchi narrowed his eyes at him, "Her 'character' is perfectly suitable to be allowed in."  
  
The receptionist swallowed hard and nodded his head, "Yes your highness." he said   
humbly.  
  
Tenchi smiled and politely thanked the man, he then turned towards Rujlo, "Thanks   
again for helping me out. See it's Ryoko birthday tomorrow, and I wanted to do   
something nice for her."  
  
Rujlo bowed politely to Tenchi, "It was of no trouble, your highness."  
  
After bidding him farewell, Tenchi took the lift back down to the floor his hotel was on,   
when another fact dawned upon him, Wait a minute! They have a really strict dress   
code there, which means I'm gonna have to buy a suit. I'm also going to have to get   
Ryoko a dress too. His shoulders sank when he realized he was going to do even  
more clothes shopping.  
  
***  
  
Morning  
  
***  
  
"Tenchiii, time to wake up." a soft and melodous voice sang into Tenchi's ear.  
  
Slowly opening his crusty eyes, he saw the smiling face of Ryoko hovering over him, she   
was straddling his waist. Still half asleep, he turned his head towards the clock next to   
his bed and saw he had only gotten 3 hours sleep since he was out shopping so late,   
"Ryoko please, I'm really tired, can't I *yawn* get a few more hours sleep?" he groggily   
responded.  
  
Ryoko shook her head, "Nope, we've got a lot to do today, and I'm not letting you   
snooze all day. Now, I think I can help you wake up..." and with that she began to grind   
her hips sensually onto his lap. Tenchi's eyes snapped open and he lept out of his bed,   
pushing Ryoko off of him, "I'm awake! I'm awake!" he said franticly.  
  
"Well, I could feel at least *one* part of your body was awake." she said with a snicker.  
  
Slightly red faced, he did his best to change the subject, "Ryoko, why can't I just get a   
little more sleep?" he pleaded.  
  
She stood up and dusted herself off, "Simple, we've got training to do. There's a level on   
the station which consists of a huge park, and it's time you got some sword practice   
Tenchi, you've been slacking off. Now let's get a move on Tenchi!"  
  
Tenchi groaned in defeat, he knew in his current condition he would be beaten badly.  
  
And sure enough, she mopped the floor with him.  
  
She stood over his tired and bruised and body, shaking her head with dissapointment,   
"Tenchi, that was the worst I've seen you spar in a long time."  
  
"Ryoko, I only got 3 hours sleep last night, I had...a bad headache." he muttered tiredly.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? Oh my poor Tenchi, here, I'll take you to bed and tuck you in,   
alright?" she said sweetly.  
  
Bending down to pick him up, she phased the two of them back to his bedroom. She   
swiftly put him on the bed and pulled the covers up overtop of him, "Now you get some   
rest, and if you want you can snuggle up with me to help you sleep."  
  
"Ryoko." he said flatly, giving her a stern look.  
  
Sighing, she stood up and walked towards the door, "Alright alright, I guess I can finish   
that manga I bought yesterday." she grumbled.  
  
"Finally..." he murmured before drifting off once again into the land of dreams.  
  
Some hours later, he awoke feeling far more refreshed. He took a long stretch and   
a deep breath, glad Ryoko let him get some peace. He glanced at the clock and was   
surprised to find it already well past lunch, his grumbling stomach let him know just how   
long he had gone without food. After getting a quick shower he made his way down to   
the various eateries the station had to offer. He saw one that offered some food similiar   
to the sort he ate back home. Deciding on that restaurant, he looked around for an   
empty table.  
  
"Yoohoo, Tenchi! Over here!" he turned around to where the voice came from, and as   
expected, he saw a waving and smiling Ryoko. Well, there goes my chance for a quiet   
lunch...  
  
And so after their lunch, Ryoko enthusiasticly explored the station with him, checking out   
some of the shops and places of interest. She had wanted to drag him into a bar to   
'loosen him up', but he declined quickly.  
  
"So Tenchi, where do you wanna go now?" Ryoko chirped.  
  
Tenchi took a look at a wall clock stationed nearby and realized it wouldn't be long before  
it was time to head up to Ying Malai's, "Well, why don't we head back to our rooms, there  
was something there I wanted to pick up." he didn't want to let on to the surprise he   
had waiting for Ryoko. He hadn't even wished her a happy birthday yet, as he wanted   
his plans for the evening to be a surprise for her.  
  
She gave him a puzzled look before agreeing with him. Tenchi tried to supress a grin as   
he knew she was wondering what was going on. Upon arriving at their rooms, Tenchi   
stopped at his door.  
  
"Ryoko, could you wait for me in your room? I'll be there in a minute." he asked flatly, not   
showing any emotion.  
  
She was utterely confused by now, "Umm, alright." she said slowly.  
  
Tenchi scurried into his room and quickly went to his closet to retreive the tuxedo he had   
bought. After changing, he then went over and reached under his bed, pulling out a box  
that was gift wrapped. After taking one last look at himself in the mirror, he left to go to   
Ryoko's room.  
  
Meanwhile, Ryoko was sitting patiently on her bed, awaiting Tenchi's return, her mind   
was ablaze with thought, as she struggled to comprehend his odd request, Why would   
Tenchi want me to wait for him in my bedroom? Maybe he wants to...nah, this is Tenchi   
remember? He wouldn't do something so bold. Her contemplation was interrupted when  
Tenchi softly knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." she said, trying to mask the excitement in her voice.  
  
When the door swished open, her eyes widened in surprise. Tenchi was standing at the   
doorway wearing a black suit and holding a box in his hands. He walked over to her   
confidently and handed the box to her, "Happy birthday Ryoko." he said with a smile.  
  
"My...my birthday? H-how did you know?" she asked softly, totally stunned.  
  
"Well, Ryo-ohki kinda told me awhile back."  
  
She nodded dumbly and opened the package, tearing away the wrapping. When she   
opened the box, she gasped, "It's...beautiful." she murmured softly.  
  
Inside the box was a cyan colored dress made of some of the finest and most delicate   
fabric in the galaxy. She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy, for this  
was the first time anyone had ever given her a birthday present. After staring at it for a   
moment, she looked up and gazed at Tenchi, "T-thank you. This is wonderful." she said   
softly, her voice thick with emotion.  
  
Tenchi blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head, "It's nothing really. Umm,   
say, why didn't you tell me about your birthday?" he asked curiously.  
  
"I guess it's because I never really celebrated it. And I've been so occupied lately...it   
never really occured to me." she replied quietly.  
  
"I see. Well, you should go put that dress on Ryoko, you'll be needing it where we're   
going." he stated with a knowing look in his eyes.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.  
  
He just kept smiling at her, "It's a surprise."  
  
Her heart was beating fast as she rushed towards the bathroom to change. She was   
more excited then she could ever remember, first the dress, and now he was taking her   
out somewhere. She quickly phased out of her current attire and gently took the dress   
out of the box. Careful not to damage it, she put in on carefully, she was determined  
not to mess up the expensive dress before it was even worn.   
  
Once she had it on, she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was conservative by   
her standards, it clung tightly to her upper body, yet had shallow scoop neck, showing   
far less cleavage than she usually did, it had long sleeves and it also had a long skirt that  
fanned out around her down to the floor. After studying herself in the mirror for a   
moment, she decided she was missing something. Snapping her fingers, she phased   
back into her old clothes and then teleported out of the bathroom.  
  
She quickly ran towards the various beauty shops and quickly bought a few supplies.   
Phasing back into her bathroom, she changed into the dress Tenchi got her. Now, this   
should knock his socks off... she thought as she rummaged through the things she just   
bought.  
  
Back in the bedroom, Tenchi was sitting on her bed, checking the clock, What is taking   
her so long? He impatiently glanced at the bathroom door, growing a bit frustrated.   
Finally, the door opened, and what he saw made his jaw hang open. Ryoko gracefully   
entered the bedroom wearing the dress he had got her, she had also put on some  
red lipstick and a little bit of light makeup, and her hair, usually spiky, was now wavy,   
almost curly. She seemed to radiate beauty, her presence almost hypnotic to Tenchi.  
  
"How do I look?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"You look...lovely." he said softly.  
  
She couldn't help but blush at his remark, usually he'd never compliment her appearance.  
Tenchi interrupted her thoughts when he took a look at the clock, "Well, we better get  
going now."  
  
Sporting a huge grin, she walked over to Tenchi and hooked his arm with hers, "Shall we  
go?" she asked.  
  
Nodding his head, they strode out of the room together towards the elevator lift, "Close  
your eyes Ryoko, and don't open them until I say, alright?" Tenchi asked her with a  
mischievious gleam in his eye.  
  
Not wanting to dissapoint him, she complied and tightly closed her eyes. She felt as if  
there were butterflies in her stomach, and her heart was racing. She wasn't sure if it  
was the dress, or the fact Tenchi seemed so attentive, but there was something truely  
magical in the air.  
  
Finally, the door opened and Tenchi led Ryoko out of the elevator, "Wait here for a  
moment, I'll be right back." he said quickly before scurrying off towards the reservation  
counter.  
  
Jogging up he noticed the same pudgy little man that he encountered before was there,  
"Hello, I have a reservation for two, under Tenchi Masaki." Tenchi said politely.  
  
The man grumbled a few things under his breath before he spoke, "Yes your highness,  
you will be seated at table 14."  
  
Tenchi quickly hurried back to Ryoko, who was still standing there with her eyes closed,  
"Ok, come with me." he said while taking ahold of her arm and leading her into the  
restaurant.  
  
Striding down the red carpeting, they came across a large double door that had detailed  
carvings on it. Two men at the door bowed and pushed the doors open for them.  
  
Tenchi lead Ryoko into Ying Malai's and was blown away by what he saw. The floor was  
a sort of black marble, and the tables and chairs were also exquisitely carved, and made  
of some of the finest wood in the galaxy. But what really set the place apart from all  
others was the fact that the entire ceiling was made of glass, giving its customers a  
grand view of the spectacular nebula above them. The multiple array of colors rained  
down upon the restaurant, bathing it in a mystical glow.  
  
"Ryoko, open your eyes now."  
  
Filled with a sense of excitement, she opened her eyes and got a look around her. She  
gasped immediately when she looked up and saw the nebula. I can't believe it...it's  
Ying Malai's! I've wanted to be here for so long...and Tenchi's given me the chance.  
  
"How did you ever get a table for us here?" she asked in an unbelieving manner.  
  
Tenchi chuckled a bit, "Well, let's just say that they didn't want to dissapoint a member  
of the royal family. So...do you like my surprise?" he asked curiously.  
  
Her amber eyes filled with joy and love, she gazed intensely into his eyes, "I love it."  
she said happily before walking over to Tenchi and hugging him. It wasn't her typical  
bear hug she usually gave him, this one was softer, more tender, "Thank you, this is  
the best birthday I've ever had." she said sincerely into his ear before letting go of him.  
  
Tenchi looked down at the floor with slightly reddened cheeks, "I'm glad you like it."  
  
Looking once more up at the starry skies above them, she exhaled blissfully, "Come on,  
let's go to our table Tenchi, I can't wait to try some of their food."  
  
Offering his agreement, they both searched for their table. After finding it, they   
relaxed into the amazingly comfortable chairs at the table. There was a fine linen table  
cloth covering the top of the table, and a small lamp that gave some soft light was set  
atop it.   
  
No sooner had they sat down did a waiter come by and give them some menu's. After  
thanking the waiter, they both opened their menu's and looked at the various dishes  
to eat.  
  
Ryoko's eyes widened when she saw how much the cost was, "Wow, these prices are   
pretty steep."  
  
"Don't worry about the cost Ryoko, let's just enjoy ourselves for tonight."  
  
Deciding to go all out for one night, Ryoko examined their most luxurious items on the  
menu. She had gotten a pretty hefty amount of cash from that cargo ship she stole from,  
so they shouldn't have to worry about running low on money.  
  
"Have you decided yet Ryoko?"   
  
Putting her hand to her chin, she was torn between two different items, shrugging her  
shoulders, she chose to just pick the more expensive one, "Yeah, I know I want."  
  
Tenchi signaled the waiter to come back to their table, "Waiter? Yes, we've decided on  
what we want. I'll have the Mishgun Rashka and a side of Yungis soup."  
  
"And I will also have the Mishgun Rashka, but I'm having a side of Ternis with it." Ryoko  
piped in.  
  
Jotting down their orders, the waiter nodded his affirmation and went to the kitchen  
to have their orders prepared.  
  
Tenchi and Ryoko both looked up at the beautiful view above them, drinking in the  
wonderous sight, "It's even more beautiful than I imagined." Ryoko murmured.  
  
"Yeah, it sure is..." he whispered while looking at Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko looked down at Tenchi and smiled, and he did likewise. Neither one could seem  
to think of something appropriate to say, which was quite odd considering how every  
day they had ate together and chatted. There was something different this time though,  
something intangible.  
  
"You think Ryo-ohki is alright?" Tenchi said, trying to break the silence that hung over  
them.  
  
"I'm sure she's ok." she replied simply.  
  
As silence decended over the table, Ryoko's gaze became intense and never faltered   
from Tenchi. On the other hand, Tenchi's eyes nervously shifted around the room,   
looking at everything but Ryoko. He was becoming frustrated at his lack of ability to even   
look her in the eye, What's wrong with me? This is just another dinner like we've had   
for the past few weeks. But why does this seem so...different?  
  
Finally, the waiter arrived with their meals. After thanking him, Tenchi and Ryoko began  
to eat.  
  
After taking one bite, Ryoko closed her eyes and moaned, "This is fantastic!" she  
exclaimed.  
  
Tenchi nodded his agreement as he devoured the dish in front of him. Both ate their  
meals in relative silence, only occasionaly commenting on the flavor or texture of the  
dinner. After finishing it, they both sipped their drinks and just enjoyed the atmosphere.  
  
Then, soft classical music began to reverberate through the air, and everyone in the  
restaurant stood up and began to dance slowly to the music. Tenchi was beginning to  
sweat now, as he wasn't too keen on the prospect of dancing seeing as how he didn't  
have much confidence in his ability.  
  
Ryoko was also nervous, as she had never done any slow dancing before either. Though  
she desperately wanted to dance to the gentle, romantic melody with Tenchi, she was   
too nervous to ask him. Everything's been so perfect, I wouldn't want to spoil it.   
Besides, if we did dance I'd probably step on his feet and embarrass him.  
  
And so the two stayed seated, each one lost in their own thoughts. The atmosphere  
was filled with romance, and needless to say this was making Tenchi quite uncomfortable.  
He looked over at Ryoko who was staring at the couples holding eachother close and  
dancing to the tune that played. She let out a sad sigh and looked at her plate, seeming  
very downcast.  
  
This was making Tenchi downcast as well, as this was supposed to be a fun evening  
to celebrate her birthday. He opened his mouth to speak, as he thought about asking  
her to dance. But looking back at the couples, and imagining him dancing with Ryoko  
like they were dancing, it made him lose his nerve.  
  
Time seemed to go on forever as various songs played and everyone else in the  
restaurant was dancing besides Tenchi and Ryoko. As each song played, Ryoko seemed  
to become more and more depressed.  
  
"Umm Ryoko, maybe we should call it a night." Tenchi said in a somber manner.  
  
"Yeah." she muttered as she stood up from the table.  
  
After paying their bill, the two of them silently made the journey back to their bedrooms.  
Standing at the hallway between the two rooms, Tenchi turned towards Ryoko, "So,  
did you have fun tonight?" he tried to sound upbeat as he spoke.  
  
Ryoko forced a smile, "Yeah, I had alot of fun."  
  
"Well...goodnight Ryoko."  
  
"Goodnight Tenchi."  
  
They both went into their perspective rooms. Tenchi stumbled over to the bed and  
flopped down, exhaling sadly as he did so. He knew Ryoko was depressed, and he had  
a good notion why too, I could have maybe danced one dance with her, that wouldn't  
have been so bad. Unless of course I stepped on her feet or something.  
  
In Ryoko's room, she sat silently on her bed, her mind lost in thought. What had started  
out as one of the most exciting days she could remember ended up becoming very  
glum. She ran the fabric of her dress through her fingers, and a gentle smile played  
upon her lips as she thought about how Tenchi had gone through the trouble of getting  
such a nice dress for her.   
  
After the thrill of the early evening, she was now becoming a bit bored as she sat on  
the bed with Ryo-ohki sounding sleeping on a pillow next to her. Getting up, she went  
over to the radio and turned it on, turning a knob to go through the various stations.  
Slowly, she turned the dial until she heard some soft, romantic music that sounded  
very similiar to the type that was playing at Ying Malai's.   
  
Her heart sank as it dredged up the memories of hours earlier. Closing her eyes, she  
began to imagine they were back at the restaurant, this time though, her and Tenchi  
were twirling about the dance floor. Standing up off her bed with her eyes closed, she  
began to sway to the music, her arms where they would be if she was dancing with  
him.  
  
In the room across the hall, Tenchi was still in his tux, lying on the bed when he heard   
some soft music coming through the door. Becoming curious, he went outside his   
bedroom and put his ear to Ryoko's door, It's coming from there. Puzzled as to what   
she was doing, he was about to knock on her door when he had a gut feeling he   
shouldn't. Instead, he pushed the button that opened the door without knocking   
beforehand.  
  
As the door silently swished open, Tenchi was greeted with one of the most beautiful  
images he had ever seen. In the center of the softly lit room, Ryoko, still wearing her   
makeup and dress from dinner, was gracefully twirling about the room. She seemed so   
mystical and enchanting to Tenchi at this moment, and he couldn't tear his eyes off of   
her.  
  
Silently stepping inside with the door closing behind him, Tenchi stood still and observed  
the spectacle before him. Tenchi could see she was completely absorbed in her fantasy,  
as she still hadn't even opened her eyes or known of his presence.  
  
As he watched her move to the rhythm in the air, he observed that she had her arms  
wrapped around an imaginery partner. Yet the thing that struck Tenchi more than  
anything was the expression on her face, it was of mixed joy and sadness. Like a  
dreamer who knows they are waking up, and is trying with all their willpower to hold  
on to the dream just a little bit longer.  
  
This image before him of Ryoko dancing, once magical and beautiful, now became utterly  
tragic to him. She doesn't deserve to be dancing alone because you're too damn   
chicken to ask her. Summoning up a courage he didn't know he had, he strode over  
confidently to her and held out his hand.  
  
"May I have this dance?" he asked quietly, nervousness evident in his voice.  
  
Ryoko jumped a few feet in the air and opened her eyes, shock evident on her face.  
At first she was humiliated that he had caught her in such an embarrassing moment,  
but then she realized what he had asked her, and saw him standing there with his  
hand out.  
  
Her heartrate shot through the roof as she looked down at his hand, then up at his  
face. She thought that it was some dream, as it seemed so unreal to her. She cautiously  
nodded her head and took his hand, still not believing any of this was happening.  
Slowly, they moved closer together, him clasping her left hand with his right and putting  
his left hand on her waist while her right hand was on his waist.  
  
Both of them were beyond nervous as they began to sway to the music together. The  
two of them at first glanced down at their feet to make sure they didn't get tangled up,  
but after a moment, Ryoko looked up at Tenchi's face with wonder, amazed this moment  
was really happening. Tenchi felt his stomach begin to tighten in a knot as she stared  
intently at him, and he was unable to return her gaze, so he kept looking at his feet.  
  
As the gentle music wafted through the room, Ryoko began to get lost in the moment.  
She freed her hand from his and wrapped both her arms around his neck, moving closer  
to his face. Her pleasant perfume was invading his senses as was her closeness,   
hesitantly, he put his arms around her waist. With a blissful sigh, she leaned her head   
on his chest, closing her eyes and losing herself in the sensations of the moment.  
  
Tenchi closed his eyes and began to drift off as well, her soft hair touching his face, her   
wonderful aroma wafting through his nose, her soft body warming his, the music   
invading his ears, all of this began to relax him. As he slowly danced with her, he allowed  
himself to stop being so worried and nervous and just lived for the moment.  
  
Time seemed to blur as the two moved about, neither one really cared how long they  
had been at it, the only thing that mattered was keeping this moment alive. For Tenchi,  
his mind was allowed to wander, and he realized just how nice this all felt. Ever since his   
mother died, he had always kept some emotional distance from everyone, never letting   
anyone ever get too close to him. He always kept a part of his heart distant from   
everyone, and now, he began to realize just how much he missed a truely warm   
relationship.  
  
For Ryoko, this closeness was something she had dreamed of having with someone for  
so long. All those cold, lonely nights in space, wondering if she'd ever find love, all  
seemed to melt away as she held onto Tenchi.  
  
The music came to end, and both of them held on to eachother well after it stopped.  
Finally, Ryoko lifted her head and looked at Tenchi, her arms still wrapped around his  
neck. This time, he didn't look away, he gazed into those two amber eyes that guarded  
the secrets of her soul. Neither one said a word, neither one wanted to shatter this  
unreal moment being shared.  
  
Ryoko's radiant beauty filled Tenchi's senses, he could not look away or think about  
anything else, he could feel her hot breath on his face, and could see the intense  
longing her eyes held. His heart was beating faster than it ever had, and his stomach  
churned like never before.   
  
As Ryoko gazed at Tenchi warm eyes, she let all her pride just fade away as she held  
onto him. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head in towards his. She wasn't sure if  
this would scare him away, but it felt so right in her heart.  
  
He saw her move her face towards his, and for a moment, he began to lean forward as  
well, his mind unable to form coherent thought. Mere inches from her lips, realization  
crashed down upon Tenchi, and a series of images of the other girls flashed through  
his mind.  
  
Snapping his eyes open, he pushed away from her and stumbled backwards,   
"I can't...I can't." he muttered franticly.  
  
Ryoko felt like someone had ripped her insides out. She stared at him dumbfounded,  
feeling so robbed of something she so desired. She felt as if she had been in the  
dark for her entire life, and she finally got a glimpse of the light only to have  
it snuffed out. I've shown him my past...opened my heart...offered my body...and   
he still rejects me! Why Tenchi, WHY?! she mentally screamed at herself.   
  
Tenchi turned around and headed for the door, "Goodnight." he mumbled as he went  
to the door.  
  
Ryoko hung her head and tears welled up in her eyes, "Goodnight." she choked   
out.  
  
That single word was spoken with such emotional pain that it parylized Tenchi  
instantly. It was like a dagger was hurled into his heart, and his mind was thrown   
in disarray. Internally, he tried to tell himself to just walk away, pretend this  
all never happened, keep things just the way they were. But there was another  
voice, a voice that had been silenced for so long was now screaming at him to  
turn around and make things right.  
  
His hand which was raised to open the door, was shaking. Closing his eyes he tried  
desperately to block out the conflicting voices that dueled in his head and heart.  
A thousand memories flashed before him of Ryoko, of the two of them together in space,  
of her laughing, crying, she was all he could see or feel. His breath was raspy and   
unsteady, he opened his eyes and slowly turned around to look at her. And what he saw   
crushed him, she was standing there, staring at him, the image of a broken soul. A tear   
made its way down her cheek as her golden eyes called out to him. In those windows to   
her soul, he saw her despair, and her need to be loved by him.  
  
Upon seeing this utterly tragic sight before him, the last remnants of conflict  
between his heart and mind was shattered. Turning fully around, he took slow, but  
confident steps towards her. Ryoko's expression turned from one of devastation to  
hope, with each step he took, the ice that had formed around her soul melted like  
a snowflake in the sun.  
  
When he stood infront of her, neither one spoke a word, neither one trusted their  
voices to work properly. He wanted to tell her so much, wanted to express so many  
things, yet as hard as he tried he could say nothing. When he cupped her cheeks with  
his hands, she let out a shaky gasp, her expression overflowed with love and hope.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he absorbed all of her beauty, her very presence was like a drug.  
Closing his eyes, he slowly leaned forward, his lips moving ever closer to hers. When  
their lips finally met, it was like a white-hot bolt of lightning tore through them.  
That tender, gentle kiss expressed so many unparralled emotions. Ryoko's entire body  
was shaking with absolute joy, so many dreams finally fulfilled, her entire body and soul  
became that kiss.  
  
Slowly, Tenchi pulled his head back, his cheeks blushing, he was smiling gently and his   
eyes shone with adoration. The feeling of her soft lips against his was unlike anything   
he ever dreamed about. And the sight of her face so filled with love and happiness sent   
an incredible warmth into his body.  
  
"I love you." he whispered emotionally to her. Those three words brought about the most  
beautific smile ever seen on Ryoko's face, a few tears of joy were shed and she became   
weak in the knee's.  
  
"I love you too." she whispered in reply before wrapping her arms around him and giving  
him a passionate kiss. Tenchi hugged her with equal force as well, pressing his lips  
against hers with a newfound energy. The soft, romantic music from the radio once again   
issued forth as the couple lost themselves in their embrace.  
  
They didn't know or care where they went from here, but each knew they wouldn't go  
anywhere without the other.  
  
  
  
End of chapter 6  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well, the big Tenchi/Ryoko get together event finally occured, three cheers! Well, I've got  
one more chapter to do, and I hope you all enjoy it. As always, reviews are welcome.  
  



	7. Homeward bound

Legal ramblings: I swear to Tsunami that I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any of it's   
characters. And I'm not making a penny, or even half of a penny off of this fic.  
  
Authors Notes: Well, this is it folks, the end of the road for the fic. Don't worry though,  
I won't stop writing stories after this, you aren't gonna get rid of me that easily! :)  
  
  
Among the stars  
  
Chapter 7: Homeward bound  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
In one of the many fine hotel rooms onboard the Kunink space station, Tenchi Masaki  
laid awake on the bed, gazing at the object of his affection. The object in question  
was a cyan haired space pirate who was soundly sleeping with her head on his chest.  
Tenchi didn't mind this in the least, he was enjoying this intimate closeness, which was  
something that until recently was missing from his life. Her light snoring brought about a   
small smile on his face, he had always thought she was very cute when she slept.  
  
So many things are different. he silently mused. Indeed, it was only some 9 hours  
ago that he had finally ceased running from his feelings and made a choice that would  
change many peoples lives. After he had confessed his love for Ryoko, the two of them  
spent much time just holding eachother and kissing. It didn't take long however before   
Ryoko was trying to unbutton his shirt and advance their relationship further.   
  
However, Tenchi had stopped her, unsure of whether or not he was ready for that next   
step yet. It wouldn't have been much fun since I'd probably end up getting a big  
nosebleed and fainting. He had told her that he needed some time to get used to  
kissing her and touching her, so that he wouldn't be so nervous when the time came  
to make love, and she had been surprisingly content with the idea of waiting.  
  
He frowned when he thought about his intense nervousness about sex. There was no   
question he desired her, he had numerous erotic fantasies about her, ever since she  
first arrived. There were other underlying reasons for his fear about sex, one being  
his own lack of self confidence. Beyond what he had read in his fathers 'educational'  
books, he had no experience in that area, and he was very afraid of dissapointing her.  
However, he knew he would have to take the plunge and get over his fears soon,   
because there was a certain part of him that was getting sick of tired of having it's   
desires ignored.  
  
Sighing, he decided not to focus on that at the time, and instead he began to wonder   
just how the others back on Earth would take the news. He didn't think any of   
the other girls would really be upset except for Ayeka. His heart sank a bit as he thought  
about the princess, she was really a very nice, sweet girl when she wasn't fighting with  
Ryoko. He hated the thought of breaking her heart, but it wouldn't have helped anyone  
if he bottled up his feelings for Ryoko and tried to keep things the way they were.  
At least now, I won't feel like I'm leading Ayeka on. Still, she's going to be upset, I just  
hope she doesn't get angry and try to attack Ryoko or something.   
  
Deciding his current train of thought was too depressing, he instead thought about his  
feelings for Ryoko. Running his hand through her spiky hair, his mind drifted as he   
pondered just when exactly he fell in love with her. His feelings had been brewing in his   
heart for some time now, he just always ignored them and pushed her away. He berated  
himself for his sometimes cold treatment of her, I'm amazed she didn't just fly off and  
forget about me, I never even gave much indication I really cared about her. Well, that's  
all in the past now, and I shouldn't focus on the past, I should think about our future   
together.  
  
In response to his tender brushing of her hair, she murmured his name in her sleep and  
sighed. Tenchi lowered his head and inhaled her sweet scent, his mind was at peace for  
once. This was the right thing to do, I have no doubt about it. These feelings I have  
for her...are amazing, I never dreamed it'd be like this.  
  
After a few moments of gently stroking her hair, she began to purr for a bit before slowly   
opening her eyes. Instantly she smiled and raised her head up to look at him. Her eyes   
shone with infinite love as she gazed at the man who finally opened his heart to her.  
  
"Rise and shine, Ryoko." he said softly while returning her loving gaze.  
  
"Good morning my Tenchi." she responded happily before leaning in to give him a slow,   
long kiss.  
  
After pulling away, she arched her back and stretched in a very catlike manner, letting   
out a little feline yawn that Tenchi found utterly adorable. She slumped back down on   
the bed, her head once more resting on his chest.  
  
I could get used to waking up like this. Ryoko happily thought. For so many nights  
before, she had dreamed of being able to spend the night in Tenchi's arms, his  
body and soul keeping her warm and safe. And now, all that had come true, after all  
the struggles, all the worry and pain, it had finally come true.   
  
Yet even in this bliss, there was one nagging worry at the back of her head, "Ayeka isn't   
going to be happy about this." she said distantly.  
  
She felt Tenchi exhale sadly, "I know. I never wanted to hurt her, and that was one of  
the reasons I was so afraid to admit my feelings for you. I just hope that you and her  
won't get into any more fights now, and I'd really like it if you two could get along."  
  
Ryoko thought for a moment before speaking, "Don't ever tell her I said this Tenchi, but I   
actually kind of like Ayeka. Sure, she can be a stuck up, annoying little priss sometimes,   
but she can also be a pretty good friend other times. And now that you made your   
choice, there won't be a need to fight over you anymore."  
  
He was relieved upon hearing this, "That's good."  
  
Ryoko grinned evilly, "Of course, we'll still get into fights about everything else besides  
you." she added.  
  
Some things never change. Tenchi realized, and there were some things he never  
wanted to change.  
  
He began to rub her back with one of his hands, "So what do you want to do today?" he  
asked.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, "Doesn't really matter, I could stay like this all day." she  
murmured groggily.  
  
And so the couple stayed in bed for the next hour, both just enjoying eachothers  
company.  
  
***  
  
Later on...  
  
***  
  
In the bustling halls and walkways in the restaurant district of the station, Tenchi and  
Ryoko strode through the crowds hand-in-hand, enjoying the delicious aroma's of the   
various delightful dishes the eating establishments had to offer. The two of them had   
just gotten back from an arcade, and by now their stomachs had been growling for   
some time.  
  
Tenchi looked over and his companion and couldn't help but smile broadly. She was so  
full of life, even moreso today than usual. Her endless enthusiam and desire to grab  
life by the horns and get all you could out of it was one of the reasons he fell for her.  
And he was finding her boundless energy becoming infectious, as he felt excited just  
about the prospect of exploring what possibilities the day had to offer.  
  
After seeing a restaurtant he wanted to try out, he gave her hand a tender squeeze to   
get her attention, "Say Ryoko, let's go eat here." he said while pointing at the place.  
  
Giving her agreement, the two of them went into the diner and quickly found a spot  
to eat since the place was empty.  
  
"Say Tenchi, I gotta use the bathroom, when a waitress gets here, just order  
some Donshu soup for me, I haven't had that stuff in ages." she quickly made her  
way to the ladies room, leaving Tenchi alone at the table.  
  
It wasn't long before a waitress came up to Tenchi to get his order, "Yeah, I'll have  
a plate of Shashki and my...girlfriend would like a bowl of Donshu soup."  
  
Jotting down his order, the waitress nodded and told him they'd get their food in a  
moment. Ryoko, my girlfriend...a few weeks ago if someone had referred to her as  
that I'd probably complain and make a big deal out of it. But now, it seems so...right.  
Funny how quickly your outlook on things can change, I mean when she first got here  
I never imagined I'd end up falling for her. She was the loud, pushy, carefree woman  
who blew things up around the house and drank a ton of sake, not the kind of girl  
I'd imagine one day loving. But I've learned there's more to her than I thought, and  
I'm glad I managed to finally discover that.  
  
In the ladies room of the diner, Ryoko was doing some thinking of her own. Standing  
in front of the mirror, she quickly fluffed her hair and made sure there wasn't anything  
in her teeth, I still can hardly believe this is all happening, Tenchi loves me, ME!  
I can touch him and he won't run, I can hug him and he won't flinch, I can kiss him and  
he won't try to flee in terror, I can...well if I try doing that with him now, he  
probably would get a little nervous. Still, this is almost too good to be true, any moment  
now I expect to wake up and find out it was all a dream. Finding her appearance  
satisfactory, she quickly strode out of the bathroom.  
  
She spotted the man who filled her thoughts sitting alone. Almost bouncing with happiness,  
she walked over to him, "You order that soup for me?" Ryoko inquired.  
  
He nodded his head and she leaned down to give him a quick kiss, she then had a   
mischievous gleam in her eye as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sat on his  
lap, giving him a passionate kiss this time, her tounge intertwining with his. After  
a good minute or so of kissing, she pulled back and smiled at his flushed and dazed  
expression.  
  
"I take it you liked that?" she purred.  
  
He nodded dumbly, trying to focus his mind which was becoming increasingly difficult. He  
looked in her eyes and found those all too familiar desires flaring up in him again. His  
lust driven thoughts were interrupted when their food was delivered.  
  
"We'll continue that later." she whispered in his ear as she stood up and went over to  
her chair to eat, leaving a slack jawed and flushed Tenchi to deal with his own thoughts.  
  
She began to sip on her soup as if nothing had happened, "So Tenchi, after we leave  
here, I figured we'd head back home since you'll have school starting soon, that ok with   
you?"  
  
"What? Oh, sure." he replied, still a bit shaken from earlier.  
  
Ryoko winked at him when she saw he was still staring at her, It won't be long before  
we'll be doing alot more than kissing, my Tenchi.  
  
Some hours later, the two of them arrived back at her hotel room, carrying some bags  
from an earlier shopping trip. "Say Tenchi, I'm gonna take a quick bath, why don't you  
go out and rent a movie for us to watch in here, ok?" she said while closing the bathroom  
door.  
  
"Sure thing, I'll be back in awhile." he replied while leaving.  
  
Upon arriving back at the hotel room some time later, Tenchi walked in and found Ryoko on   
the bed, laying on her side with her head propped up by her arm. She was flipping through   
the channels, apparently not finding anything good on.  
  
"Hey Tenchi, did you get us something to watch?" she asked casually.  
  
He shook his head, "Nope, they didn't have anything that looked good. I guess we'll  
have to play some chess tonight or something."  
  
"Fine by me." she chirped.  
  
She bounced off the bed and reached under it to pull out the chess board, "I got a good  
feeling that tonight is the night I'm finally gonna beat you at chess."  
  
Tenchi crossed his arms and smirked at her, "Yeah, we'll see about that."  
  
***  
  
Later on...  
  
***  
  
It had been some time now since they started their chess match, both Tenchi and Ryoko  
were laying on some blankets set down on the floor, the chess board inbetween them.  
  
Ryoko was on her back staring up at the ceiling lost in thought, her legs crossed and her   
hands behind her head, waiting for Tenchi to make his move.  
  
"Say Tenchi, why did you pick me?" she asked curiously.  
  
Tenchi looked up from the chess board and blinked a few times, "Well, there were alot  
of reasons. Why do you ask?"  
  
Ryoko rolled over on her stomach and rested her head on her hands, "I don't know, I  
guess a part of me always thought you were gonna pick Ayeka. I mean, I'm a rough  
and tough space pirate, and she's a proper little princess. I suppose I thought that  
you would see her as more your type." she said plainly.  
  
Tenchi leaned his head to the side and looked at Ryoko, "That may be so, but I've always  
had trouble being comfortable around Ayeka. She's nice and all, but I can't help but see   
her as the regal princess, above my station. I always felt like she expected me to act like  
some noble prince, when I'm really just an ordinary Earthling."  
  
Ryoko began to chuckle, "Are you saying you were comfortable around me? I mean,  
any time I'd make any pysical contact, you'd jump ten feet in the air."  
  
"Well, you made me uncomfortable for a very different reason. When you'd touch me,  
I'd get nervous because I wasn't used to a girl doing that sort of thing. There was also  
the fact that I was a bit scared of you. As you may recall, you did attack me the first  
night you were at our house." he dryly noted.  
  
"Oh come on Tenchi, I was only playing." she insisted  
  
"Well, my idea of fun wasn't being chased around by a flying woman with an energy sword.  
Anyways, as I was gonna say before, over these past few weeks, I have noticed I can be more   
relaxed around you." he said while moving one of his chess pieces.  
  
Ryoko took a look at the board and studied his move, "Yeah, but I notice you still get  
a little tense when I stick my tounge down your throat." she observed with a grin.  
  
Tenchi scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor, slightly blushing as  
he chose not to reply to her.  
  
Ryoko didn't tease him any further because her watchful eye had just spotted a possible   
winning move. Sitting up, her grin widened as she made numerous calculations and discovered   
she indeed had just found a move which would defeat Tenchi.  
  
With glittering eyes, she took her bishop and slammed it down where she wanted it,  
"CHECKMATE!" she shouted jubilantly.  
  
Tenchi scratched his head for a moment as he looked at her move, a look of surprise  
on his face. Meanwhile, Ryoko had jumped up and was dancing around the room,  
whooping and hollering with joy.   
  
"HAHA! I knew I'd beat you someday, Tenchi!" she exclaimed energeticly.  
  
Tenchi just gave her a funny little smile, "Yeah, you sure got me that time." he said  
jovially.  
  
His demeanor threw Ryoko off completely, "Hey, what's with that look? You're hiding  
something! You...you let me win didn't you?!" she asked accusingly.  
  
He just gave her a perplexed look, "I don't know what you're talking about Ryoko." he  
spoke innocently.  
  
Getting up, he casually walked towards the bathroom, "I think I'm going to get some sleep   
now." he simply remarked.  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh no you don't! You're not gonna get away from this  
that easily." she growled as he went into the bathroom.  
  
After a moment, he emerged still with a serene look on his face as he made his way  
towards the bed and laid down, "You gonna stand there all night or will you come to  
bed?" he asked.  
  
Normally, Ryoko would have done just that, but in her current angry mood, she wasn't  
going to let up, "No way, not until I get the truth! And until I do, you can go sleep in  
your own room." she said angrily.  
  
"Ok, if that's what you want." he said calmly while getting up from bed and leaving the  
bedroom, he was using all his willpower to contain a smirk as he left. Upon arrival in  
his bedroom across the hall, he glanced at the clock, I'm gonna say...5 minutes.  
He quickly flopped in bed and patiently waited...  
  
Across the hall, Ryoko was sulking in her room, the rational part of her brain was now  
kicking in and she realized she had went a little overboard. She desperately wanted to   
go sleep with Tenchi, but her pride was keeping her from going over to his room.   
Turning out the lights, she slumped down on her bed. She couldn't help but look   
over at the empty side of the bed next to her and sigh, it had only been one night so   
far that she slept with him, but she was already addicted to it. The yearning to have his  
heartbeat lull her to sleep while being held in his strong arms was becoming all  
encompassing by now. Growling at her weakness, she got up and phased into Tenchi's  
room.  
  
Tenchi was laying still, taking a look at the clock every now and then, when he saw  
Ryoko phase in his room. It only took her 4 minutes to get lonely, oh well, I was close   
enough.  
  
Ryoko was very embarrassed by how needy she was feeling, and she looked at the  
floor as she spoke, "Umm, Tenchi...I was thinking...about before...maybe I was...what   
I'm trying to say is...could I maybe..."  
  
Tenchi just slid over to one side of the bed and patted the space next to him, a   
half-smile on his face. Upon seeing this, Ryoko immediately muttered a quick 'Thank  
you.' before leaping onto the bed next to Tenchi and quickly snuggling up with him.  
  
After a few moments of laying together silently, Ryoko spoke up, "Tenchi?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"About that game of chess, did you really let me win?" unlike before, this time she asked  
him calmy.  
  
Tenchi let out a defeated groan, "No Ryoko, you beat me fair and square."  
  
Ryoko was beaming with a smile as she held Tenchi a bit tighter, "Goodnight, my love."  
she softly spoke.  
  
"Goodnight, Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko opened her eyes and blinked a few times, "Tenchi?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Why didn't you refer to me as your love just now?"  
  
Tenchi opened his eyes and was confused, "What?"  
  
Ryoko pulled away from him and propped her head up on her arm, "When you were  
saying goodnight, you called me Ryoko instead of 'my love'. What is it? You don't love  
me anymore?" she was feining a hurt tone and was pouting, her bottom lip stuck out.  
  
Tenchi exhaled sharply, "Ryoko, don't be silly." he responded in a tired manner.  
  
"Then I want to hear you say it." she said in a demanding manner.  
  
"What do you want me to say?"  
  
"Those three little words."  
  
Tenchi decided to have some fun with her, like she was doing with him at the moment.  
He scratched his head and had a confused look on his face, "What 'Three little words'?"  
  
"You know the words I'm talking about." she growled.  
  
Tenchi looked thoughtful for a moment before recognition dawned on him, "Go to sleep."  
  
She narrowed her eyes and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "What? That was three  
words." he said playfully.  
  
"Tenchiiii." she whined.  
  
He chuckled a bit, deciding to give in to her, "Ryoko, I love you." he said sincerely.  
  
She smiled evilly, "That was four words, I wanted three." she started to laugh  
when she heard him groan once more. She nestled up to him, wanting to be as  
close as possible to him, "Goodnight, my Tenchi." she whispered softly.  
  
"Goodnight, my love." he replied warmly.  
  
It wasn't long before the two quickly fell asleep in eachothers arms.  
  
***  
  
Terafin  
  
***  
  
The cool ocean breezes blew steadily onshore, adding to the blissfully serene  
atmosphere that permeated over the area. However, in a nearby building, the   
atmosphere was anything but serene.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, miss. I swear I don't know where they're at. They checked out a week ago,  
you have to believe me!"  
  
The bounty hunter Nagi stared coldly at the quivering hotel manager who was at the end  
of her energy pistol. Scanning his frightened eyes, she sensed he was telling the truth  
and lowered her weapon.  
  
Without saying a word, she turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the hotel.  
  
Ken-Ohki bounced along behind her, he could feel the anger radiating from his master.  
  
"Ken-Ohki, let's get the hell out of here." Nagi grumbled.  
  
Quickly obeying the command, the cabbit lept in the air and transformed into a  
formidable ship. Upon being beamed up into the ship, Nagi stood ramrod still, staring  
out the viewscreen, deep in thought.  
  
"Ken-Ohki, I want you to do an extensive monitering of the communications channels  
in the sector. Maybe we'll catch someone talking about a Ryo-Ohki sighting." Nagi tried to  
sound optimistic as she spoke, but she knew the odds were against them.  
  
She clenched her fist in anger, fuming inwardly, Damn you Ryoko! I'm so close, I can  
feel it! But where are you?  
  
***  
  
3 days later  
  
***  
  
The two warriors stood opposite eachother in the lush, green garden. The beautiful,  
calm setting masking the upcoming battle soon to commence. The two combatants stared  
at eachother, neither one wanting to give any too much emotion. Inwardly however,   
both of them had much on their minds.  
  
Tenchi stared blankly at Ryoko, the perfect picture of the calm and focused warrior, but his   
mind was far from focused. It was only a few moments before that he and Ryoko had   
engaged in a 'makeout' session, leaving him flushed and wanting more. And looking at   
her dressed in a skin tight battle outfit, those wants were only becoming more evident,   
Does her suit have to be SO tight? I'm never going to be able to concentrate.  
  
Meanwhile, Ryoko was also dealing with inner struggles. The thrill of combat always  
excited her, and after passionately kissing him only moments earlier, it was taking all  
her strength to avoid jumping him right there and tearing his clothes off. I have to  
get myself under control! Tenchi said he needed some time before he'd be comfortable  
with having sex.  
  
Deciding to channel her sexual frustrations into something useful for the sparring session,  
she lunged at him with her wooden bokken. Tenchi easily parried that blow and the   
subsequent ones after that. Back peddling to give the illusion of weakness, he allowed   
Ryoko to furiously swipe at him numerous times.  
  
After Ryoko made a swing that left her right side unguarded, Tenchi attacked with  
the quickness of a cheetah. Much to his dismay, it was only a ploy on Ryoko's part, for  
as he made his stab, Ryoko instantly phased away next to him and swung at his knee's.  
Tenchi lept in the air to avoid her strike, and upon landing spun around to make a  
counter-attack of his own.  
  
Obviously surprised by how quickly he recovered, she grit her teeth in frustration.  
Over the course of their vacation, they had engaged in many sword training sessions,  
and each time, Tenchi seemed to surprise her at least once during a sparring session.  
  
When Tenchi made a weak attempt at disarming her, she chose to play a little trick on  
him. Allowing the sword to be knocked in the air, she could barely contain a smirk as  
she flew into the air to retreive the sword and then rocketed right back towards him.  
  
His expression changed from victorious to grim rather quickly as he realized his blunder.  
Narrowing his eyes, he widened his stance and held his ground as Ryoko plummeted  
at him with her bokken ready to strike. Using all his strength, he managed to block her  
blow without losing his ground or his sword. Springing forward, he once more made an  
attempt to catch her off guard with his quick recovery.  
  
However, this time, Ryoko was well prepared. And when he made an twirling attack  
meant to strike her lower abdomen, she was ready and waiting. With a furious downward  
chop, she knocked his bokken out of his hand.   
  
Both stood still for a moment as they watched it land on the ground in front of them.  
Ryoko lunged forward and planted her foot on top of the bokken, making sure Tenchi  
didn't have any options left. However, upon seeing this, Tenchi decided to go to an  
absolute last resort.  
  
Tenchi lept forward and slammed into Ryoko, sending the both of them to the ground.  
He quickly pinned her arms above her and went to work trying to pry the bokken from  
her hand. Ryoko was too stunned to offer much resistance to him, and he easily  
disarmed her.  
  
"What do you say we call it a draw?" he panted, a smile on his face.  
  
Ryoko was furious for once more allowing him to pry victory from her grasp. Yet that  
anger vanished quickly as she noticed he was still on top of her and still had her arms  
pinned above her head. Feeling his strong body pressed against hers, those old  
flames of desire became a roaring inferno.  
  
Tenchi noticed the change in her expression from anger to something he saw many times  
before...lust. Both of them were still panting, and Tenchi's gaze drifted from her sweat  
covered face down to her heaving chest, and rational thought was giving way to primal  
urges. He let her arms free, but remained overtop of her, and Ryoko could see in his eyes  
that he was starting to feel the same things she was.  
  
Wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, Ryoko crushed his lips  
against hers. Tenchi was surprised by her agressiveness, but made no effort to do  
anything about it. Once her tounge invaded his mouth, Tenchi began to feel that  
familiar stirring in his loins.  
  
Pulling away, Ryoko stared at him hungrily, "I want you Tenchi, now." she breathed  
hotly in his ear.  
  
Hearing those words made Tenchi's heart skip a beat as his old nervousness resurfaced,   
"I-I don't know if I'm ready." he stammered as he felt a nosebleed approaching.  
  
Ryoko growled upon hearing this. "Bullshit Tenchi! I can feel you want it just as bad as I   
do." to emphasize her point, she began to grind herself against his aroused member.  
  
Tenchi's eyes began to glaze over, and fear gave way to passion, "Not here Ryoko, take   
us to our room." he mumbled in a daze.  
  
Her heart soared as she heard this, one of her final dreams was coming to pass.   
Instanly teleporting them onto a bed in her bedroom, she still remained beneath him as  
she began to nibble on his ear and lick his neck.  
  
"This...is my first time, Ryoko." he said softly.  
  
Ryoko stopped what she was doing and looked in his eyes, and smiled tenderly at him,  
"This is my first time too, Tenchi." she whispered.  
  
His eyes widened, "Really? I didn't think...I mean I wasn't sure if..." knowing he was  
treading on thin ice, he chose not to continue what he was saying.  
  
Ryoko glared at him and put on a mock frown, "So, you thought I slept around with a  
bunch of guys, did you?" she asked half-seriously.  
  
Tenchi shook his head feverishly, "No! Of course not! I just thought that someone as...  
beautiful as you would have had some...experience in that area." he said nervously,  
not wanting to anger her.  
  
Ryoko chuckled at his behavior, but couldn't help but blush a little at his calling her  
beautiful, "It's ok Tenchi, I'm not mad. And to tell you the truth, I've never even had a  
boyfriend, let alone ever had sex."  
  
Tenchi's gaze softened, "Well, we'll learn together." he whispered as he drew her in  
for a soft, loving kiss that quickly deepened into a passionate one. Ryoko didn't want  
to admit it, but she was nervous herself, yet the flood of passion that poured between  
them banished any fears.  
  
And it wasn't long before their clothes were cast aside and they expressed their feelings   
as only lovers could.  
  
***  
  
6 days later  
  
***  
  
The cabbit ship Ryo-Ohki soared gracefully through the stars, not a worry on her mind.  
However, one of the occupants of the ship had quite a few worries...  
  
"AH CRAP!" Ryoko shouted as she took the burnt dinner out of the oven.   
  
Angrily chucking the charred mess into the garbage, Ryoko pondered just what she   
should do, I'm sick of these stupid frozen meals. I should cook something for Tenchi, I   
bet he'd be really proud of me if I cooked him a good dinner, it'd show him how great of a  
housewife I would make. How hard can cooking be? Chop this, fry that, boil this, it's   
easy!  
  
Self confidence soaring, she began to rummage through the storage cabinets and freezer  
units to gather up the makings for her dinner. Picking out some frozen fish, a few   
vegetables and some bags of rice, she dumped the items on the counter, Ok, I'm going   
to make a nice vegetable soup and some fried fish on top of rice, it should be a cinch.  
  
She started to chop up the vegetables using an energy sword, unfortunately, she also   
chopped up the cutting board into little pieces as well. And she scooped up the chunks of   
wood along with the vegetables and put them in a pot of water, humming a tune to   
herself, she didn't even notice this blunder. Next she poured the entire bag of rice in   
another pot and put a woefully small amount of water in it. She then threw the still   
frozen fish on a frying pan to cook. She smacked her head when she realized she hadn't   
put any seasonings in the vegetable soup. So she put a can of salt, pepper, red pepper,   
soy sauce, garlic powder, rosemary, parsley, and about 8 other seasonings in. Standing   
back she admired her handiwork, Tenchi is gonna love this!  
  
Tenchi was sitting at the table on the bridge wondering what was taking dinner so long   
when he saw Ryoko come out with a platter in hand. Beaming with a smile she presented  
him with her dinner, "I made you a special dinner tonight Tenchi, so eat up."  
  
A large sweatdrop formed on Tenchi's head when he got a look at her meal. The rice   
looked burnt beyond belief, the soup looked strange to say the least, and the fish   
seemed underdone. Looking up and seeing pride and hope shining in Ryoko's eyes, he   
knew he had to eat it. Mentally performing a quick prayer, he took a bite of the fish  
only to find it was still frozen in the center, and still had bones in it. Almost breaking a   
few teeth, he crunched on it and tried his best not to gag. "Well Tenchi, do you like   
it?" Ryoko asked hopefully.  
  
He gave her a fake smile, "Idz...delishous." he said with his mouth full.  
  
Ryoko squealed with delight and spun around the room, and while she was doing this he   
hurriedly spit out his food into a napkin. "I'm so glad you like it!" she excitedly exclaimed.   
She once again stared at him, waiting for him to continue eating. Tenchi still had a fake   
smile on when he hesitantly took a spoonfull of soup. His eyes widened when his tounge   
was assaulted with the overseasoned soup, and then he bit down on a chunk of wood.  
Unable to keep the charade going any longer he spit out the soup into the bowl, "What   
was that! A piece of...wood?" he asked incredulously as he looked at soup.  
  
Ryoko's once soaring spirits took a nosedive when she saw Tenchi's reaction, "What? Let  
me see..." She took a look at the soup herself and saw the chunks of wood, "How did   
those get in there?" she wondered aloud. She took a sip of the soup herself to see if it   
affected the flavor any, and like Tenchi, spit it out as well. "That was terrible! Well, at  
least the fish was good..." as she was saying this she took a bite of the fish herself...and  
promptly spit that out as well, "Tenchi! You lied, you said this fish was good!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to hurt your feelings Ryoko." he replied in an apologetic tone.  
  
Ryoko let out a heavy sigh and snatched the plate and bowl from the table, "That's ok,  
I'll just heat up another frozen dinner because I stink at cooking real food." she grumbled  
under her breath as she made her way towards the kitchen.  
  
Tenchi could see she was dissapointed, so he got up and followed her into the kitchen.  
"Ryoko, don't be so hard on yourself, cooking a good meal can be tough." he said   
sympatheticly as he put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Ryoko smiled at his efforts to comfort her, "I know, Tenchi. I just wanted to be able to do  
something nice for you."  
  
Tenchi wrapped his arms around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder, "You know,  
I bet Sasami would love to teach you how to cook."  
  
Ryoko leaned into his embrace and her eyes lit up, "Yeah, I bet she could teach me. Then   
I'd be able to cook for you all the time, like a real housewife."  
  
Tenchi let go of her and began to laugh, and Ryoko gave him an annoyed look, "What  
is so funny?"  
  
Tenchi shook his head, "Nothing, it's just that I've never really pictured you as the  
typical housewife."  
  
She crossed her arms and glared at him, "And just why not? You don't think I could  
do it?"  
  
Getting his laughter under control, he walked over and placed his hands on her  
shoulders, "No, Ryoko. I'd love it if you would cook for me, and be like a typical  
housewife. But I want you to know that you don't have to feel like you have to do this  
so I'll love you. I'll love you if you're the wild, untamed space pirate who flies through  
walls or the ordinary housewife who cooks and cleans." upon finishing he gave her   
a kiss.  
  
Ryoko's anger had dissapated when he heard his words, "You'll still have your space  
pirate, she'll just know how to make something edible to eat."  
  
They both laughed a bit before he left to resume reading his book. Ryoko watched him  
go before turning around and taking out a frozen meal. Humming a happy tune to  
herself she popped it in the oven and leaned against the wall, her mind bubbling with  
delight at recalling his loving words.  
  
Her head snapped up when Ryo-ohki began to tell her that they were orbiting Zelvia,  
Damn! I forgot all about getting those crystals for Washu. Well, I guess I better go  
steal them now, no sense wasting any time. Though...I probably shouldn't tell Tenchi  
about this.  
  
Quickly phasing into her bedroom, she hurriedly grabbed a sack and was only moments  
from teleporting outside the cabbit ship when Tenchi happened to walk in.  
  
Tenchi stopped still and had a perplexed expression as he stumbled in on her, "Ryoko, I   
thought you were in the kitchen...and why are you carrying a bag?"   
  
Sweatdrops formed on Ryoko's head as she wracked her brain for a suitable excuse,  
"Ahh...I just wanted to...change the sheets." she anxiously replied.  
  
Tenchi crossed his arms and leveled a stern gaze at her, "Ryoko, you aren't fooling me,  
now what's really going on?"  
  
Her shoulders slumped as she realized she was busted, "Alright Tenchi, I'll tell you the  
truth. See, before we left Earth, Washu made me promise to get some Zelvian crystals  
for her experiments. Problem is, the people of the planet won't allow any outsiders to  
have the crystals, so I'm going to steal them."  
  
"I don't like the idea of you getting into any trouble Ryoko, I think you should just  
forget about this." he stated seriously.  
  
Ryoko shrugged her shoulders, "Ok Tenchi, if you don't mind the idea of sleeping with  
a water-sprite. Remember this is Washu we're talking about here, do you really want  
to find out what she does when she hears I didn't get her those crystals?"  
  
Tenchi exhaled sharply in defeat, "Alright Ryoko, go ahead and get the crystals. Just...  
try and stay out of trouble, ok?"  
  
She smiled broadly and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "Don't worry Tenchi, everything   
is gonna be just fine." she confidently stated before phasing outside the craft.  
  
Tenchi leaned against the wall and stared at the spot Ryoko had just been in, She sure  
knows how to make things interesting that's for sure, I never know what she's gonna  
do next. One minute she's like a hungry tigress who likes to 'surprise' me when I'm  
taking a bath, and another minute she's like an innocent kitten who just wants to cuddle   
with me. She's alot of things, but boring isn't one of them.  
  
Meanwhile, on the surface of Zelvia, Ryoko was soaring through the clouds,  
determination evident on her features. Her sharp eyes were scanning the ground below,  
looking for any sign of her prize.  
  
A sly grin formed on her face as she spotted her target, which was a large mining  
facility. With the grace of an eagle, she swooped down and phased through the walls  
of the building. Doing her best to stay out of sight of anyone around, she snuck through  
the shadows searching for any sign of the crystals.  
  
Little did she know that her arrival was already known...  
  
***  
  
Onboard Ken-Ohki  
  
***  
  
The bounty hunter Nagi was soundly sleeping in the bed chambers onboard the ship  
when Ken-Ohki began to loudly insist upon her waking up.  
  
"What the hell is it, Ken-Ohki?" Nagi growled as she rubbed her eyes.  
  
Any tiredness quickly faded when she heard the message, "Well I'll be damned, Zelvian  
defense systems have detected Ryo-Ohki orbiting the planet."  
  
With a smirk, she lept out of bed and began to prepare herself for what sure to be a busy  
day, "Ken-Ohki, full speed ahead to Zelvia!" she shouted.  
  
***  
  
Zelvia  
  
***  
  
The cyan-haired space pirate finally spotted her prize as she lurked in the shadows.  
There was a plentiful bounty of the dark black crystals being sorted through, and Ryoko   
wasted no time in quickly making her move. She lept out of the shadows and blasted a  
few energy shots overhead, making the workers scatter in a panic.  
  
"Well, that was almost too easy." she chuckled as she went over and retrieved several  
of the crystals. Phasing outside the mining camp, she rocketed skyward back torwards   
her spaceship.  
  
***  
  
Near the first moon of Zelvia  
  
***  
  
Slowly drifting through the vastness of space, a small grey colored spaceship was  
leisurely making it's way around the first moon of Zelvia. Onboard the small craft was a  
teal haired Galaxy Police officer by the name of Kiyone Makibi.  
  
"10 days, 10 days left until I have to go back to...Mihoshi." she spat the name out  
like a curse.  
  
With a pitiful groan, she sank into her uncomfortable pilots seat, her mind bogged down  
by depression. It had only been a few hours earlier that her chief had contacted Kiyone  
and told her that the GP officer she was standing in for would be back from maternity  
leave in 10 days. Which meant Kiyone would go back to her regular post patroling  
the Earth sector with Mihoshi.  
  
Needless to say, this news did not sit well with Kiyone.  
  
Her gloomy mood was dispersed when she recieved an alert from the local GP station  
on Zelvia. Quickly straightening her appearance, she opened up a link with the planet.  
  
"Detective Kiyone, we have urgent news. The space pirate Ryoko has just stolen some  
Zelvian crystals. Now, I don't think I have to tell you how important those are to the  
Zelvian military. If those crystals fall into the wrong hands, there will be serious hell to   
pay. Since you are the only officer on patrol in this sector, I'm leaving this important  
task to you, I'm counting on you detective Kiyone!"  
  
Kiyone's eyes were wide open and her jaw hanging open in shock, What is Ryoko  
doing out here stealing crystals? And what am I gonna do? Ryoko is a friend, but I can't  
just ignore this. I'll have to track her down and find out what this is all about. with  
grim determination, she powered up the craft and rocketed off towards Zelvia.  
  
***  
  
Back onboard Ryo-Ohki  
  
***  
  
"I had a feeling this sort of thing was gonna happen." Tenchi muttered tiredly as a blast  
from the local Zelvian fighter craft impacted Ryo-Ohki.  
  
"Don't worry Tenchi, those puny ships can't keep up with us. Heck, we've already outrun  
practicly all of them already." Ryoko quipped.  
  
She cast a seductive glance at Tenchi, and a devious little notion popped into her head.  
Without saying a word she phased onto Tenchi's lap and began to rub her cheek  
against his.  
  
"You know Tenchi, a great escape always makes me...excited." she cooed.  
  
Tenchi's face became a bit red and his eyes widened as he knew what she meant.  
He also found that his self control was rapidly vanishing.  
  
"Umm, isn't it still a little dangerous, I mean with those ships after us." he stammered.  
  
Ryoko started to plant kisses all along Tenchi's face and neck, "We're perfectly alright  
Tenchi, Ryo-Ohki has already outrun them, and besides, I like a little danger."   
  
After weighing the various options for a moment, Tenchi decided to just go with what felt   
right. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and planted a firm kiss on her lips,  
making her moan with delight.  
  
Their lust driven interlude was rudely interrupted however when Ryo-Ohki assaulted  
Ryoko's mind with an urgent message. Ryoko broke the kiss and paled a bit when she  
listened to what Ryo-Ohki was telling her.  
  
"Oh shit, Nagi is here." she muttered.  
  
Tenchi's eyes widened, "What?! Nagi? Oh great."  
  
Jumping up from the seat, Ryoko charged torwards the command crystal, only to be  
met with even worse news.  
  
"Damnit! Ken-Ohki is too close in this area. Wait a second...the third moon of Zelvia has   
an extremely dense atmosphere which may be able to distort any tracking of us. I'm   
gonna land there and hope Nagi doesn't spot us."  
  
Tenchi walked over beside her, "You think it'll work?"  
  
Ryoko gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
***  
  
Renal, third moon of Zelvia  
  
***  
  
After landing on the barren surface of Renal, Tenchi and Ryoko quickly took a look around  
them. The surface was a sandy, rocky terrain, similiar to some of the deserts back on  
Earth. Tenchi looked up and noticed that the second moon of Zelvia was visible in the  
daytime sky. It loomed overhead like a silent guardian, and Tenchi couldn't help but  
marvel at how much detail he could make out of the surface. One thing about intergalatic   
travel, there sure were alot of beautiful sights. However, the stifling heat was making any   
peaceful nature sightings most uncomfortable.  
  
"This place is a desert, Ryoko. I hope we aren't gonna have to stay here for long."  
Tenchi mused.  
  
Ryoko sat down on a nearby rock and wiped the sweat from her brow, "Nah, she should  
pass by pretty quickly, and we'll be on our way."  
  
No sooner had she said that, did the glint of an incoming spaceship get spotted by  
the two of them.  
  
"Ok...so maybe I was wrong about that." she mumbled under her breath.  
  
Ryo-Ohki began to joyously call out to Ken-Ohki, and it wasn't long before the ship  
beamed down Nagi and transformed back into a cabbit.  
  
While their cabbits happily reunited, Ryoko and Nagi stared eachother down on the  
boiling desert sands.  
  
"Well well well, long time no see Ryoko. I figured you'd do something cowardly to  
try and avoid me." Nagi smugly spoke.  
  
Ryoko narrowed her eyes, "Enough talk Nagi, you want a fight? Fine! Let's get this  
over with!"  
  
"Wait!" Tenchi called out.  
  
Both of the women stopped and looked at him, with a grim and distressed expression,  
he stepped in front of Ryoko.  
  
"Nagi, I know it's Ryoko you want, but I cannot allow you to harm her. So you're going  
to have to fight me if you want a shot at her." he boldly stated.  
  
Ryoko's breath caught in her throat as panic took over, "Tenchi! No! You have to stay  
out of this. This battle is mine alone to fight."  
  
Tenchi pulled out Tenchi-Ken and turned around, a gentle smile on his face, "Ryoko,  
I won't let you fight alone anymore." Needless to say, Ryoko was stunned and  
worried, but said nothing in reply.  
  
Tenchi faced Nagi and ignited his sword, a look of calm over his face. Nagi retained her  
smug look and took out her energy whip. A moment of silence hung over the scorched  
battleground as the two combatants and one anxious onlooker faced eachother down.  
  
Then, like a shot was fired signaling the start of a race, both Nagi and Tenchi charged  
eachother. Nagi let out a battle cry as she swung her whip in an attempt to grab  
Tenchi's legs, however, Tenchi lept above the whip and was swinging his sword  
down upon her.  
  
Yet this was just what Nagi had planned, for she dodged to the side and planted a  
devastating kick in Tenchi's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him  
to the dirt.   
  
Nagi watched Ryoko's shock with a smug smile and planted her foot on Tenchi's neck,   
"Really Ryoko, I figured you'd pick a real man instead of a weakling like this." she   
taunted.  
  
Ryoko growled and ignited her energy sword, but Nagi waved a finger at her, "Ah ah ah,  
not so fast, Ryoko. One move from you and I'll crush his neck in an instant. Now, what I   
want is for this wretched excuse of a man to get off this planet and leave the two of us  
alone to fight. And this time...they'll be no escaping me Ryoko, we settle this here."  
  
Tenchi tried to speak but Nagi was making his breathing quite difficult. Ryoko cast a  
saddened look at Tenchi before getting ready to agree to Nagi's terms.  
  
However, before Ryoko said anything, a shot rang out, tearing a hole in Nagi's leg.  
  
With a cry of pain, Nagi doubled over on the ground, and whipped her head up to catch  
a glimpse of her assailant.  
  
"Detective...Kiyone?!" she gasped.  
  
Both Tenchi and Ryoko stared slack jawed and amazed at their unexpected savior.  
Kiyone's expression however, was all business as she strode briskly towards Nagi.  
  
"Bounty hunter Nagi, you have no right or legal standing to be conducting this  
unprovoked harassment. Now, you'll have to appear before a local judge and submit  
a report explaining why you took your current actions. Failure to do so could result  
in a serious fine and a mark on your record. The following is covered under GP law  
number..."  
  
"Will you SHUT UP?!" Nagi roared. She tried to stand up but fell back down on the  
ground, "Are you gonna stand there and let me bleed or what?" she bitterly spat while  
gritting her teeth.  
  
Kiyone raised an eyebrow at her, "That depends on if the suspect is still considered a  
threat."  
  
"You stupid GP have to stick your noses in everything don't you? Well I'm not gonna  
let Ryoko slip through my fingers..." her eyes widened as she twirled her head about  
furiously.  
  
"Where the hell did they go?"  
  
***  
  
Out in space  
  
***  
  
"Talk about a close call!" Ryoko jubilantly exclaimed as Ryo-Ohki sped away from the  
surface of Renal.  
  
Tenchi was rubbing his throat, looking out the viewscreen, "You know, I wish we had  
a chance to thank Kiyone for helping out."  
  
Ryoko patted him on the head, "Don't worry, she'll be back home on Earth soon and we   
can thank her then. Right now we need to get out of here while Nagi's distracted."  
  
Both of them sat silent for a moment in their seats, when Ryoko made the first move  
to break up the lull.  
  
"Say Tenchi, how about we pick up where we left off before Nagi interrupted, hmm?" she  
cooed in his ear as she phased behind him and draped her arms around his neck.  
  
Tenchi was gazing at a particularly beautiful cluster of colored stars in the viewscreen,  
"I'm a little worn out, Ryoko. Nagi really knocked the wind out of me."  
  
Ryoko's mood sank a bit as she heard him. But before she was about to go back to  
her seat, Tenchi took ahold of her hand and looked up at her, "Why don't you just sit  
with me for awhile?" he asked warmly while patting his knee.  
  
With a beaming smile, Ryoko quickly hopped up on his lap and nestled close to him. Tenchi  
put his arms around her and just stared quietly at the stars outside the ship while   
Ryoko ran her fingers through his spikey hair. It was moments like this which Tenchi truely  
felt at peace with himself and the world around him, where everything else just melted   
away and all he felt was him and the woman he loved.  
  
***  
  
10 days later  
  
***  
  
Soaring towards the blue sphere of Earth, Ryo-Ohki let out an excited shout of joy  
at the prospect of seeing her friend Sasami again. Onboard, there were mixed emotions...  
  
"Well, we're back home." Tenchi observed.  
  
Tenchi looked over at Ryoko and saw a slightly distant look in her golden eyes, he  
took ahold of her hand gently to reassure her.  
  
She gave him a grateful smile when she felt this, "We've been through alot since we  
started this trip Tenchi...and I guess a part of me never wanted it to end." she  
quietly finished.  
  
"Hey, just because this trip is ending doesn't mean we can't take another one in  
the future." he stated in an upbeat manner.  
  
Her mood seemed to lift up, "Yeah, I guess you're right." she said as she smiled at him.  
  
On the Earth's surface, it was a normal day at the Masaki residence, Ayeka was tending   
the garden that her and Mihoshi had planted, and she couldn't help but notice with a smile   
just how well it was coming along. After watering the last of the plants, Ayeka stood up   
and stretched her cramped legs. She looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath   
of the clean air. Lately, she had this odd sense of peace, as if the dark cloud that had   
been looming over her had finally lifted.  
  
It was then that she caught sight of a bright light streaking towards the Earth. It  
quickly became apparent that it was some sort of spaceship. When she saw that it was  
Ryo-Ohki returning, that sense of peace faded rapidly. It was replaced with a knot  
in her stomach and an extreme feeling of uneasiness. She expected she would be   
overjoyed to see Tenchi returning, but instead a thick fog of dread seemed to form  
around her.  
  
The cabbit ship beamed down Tenchi and Ryoko along with their luggage, and both stood  
side by side with smiles as the residents of the house ran out to greet them. Sasami  
was the first to greet them as she gave a hug to both of them.  
  
"Tenchi! Ryoko! You're back! I missed you two so much!" she jubilantly shouted.  
  
"We missed you too, kiddo." Ryoko replied while ruffling her hair.  
  
Ryo-Ohki changed into cabbit form and leapt at Sasami crying out in joy. And Sasami  
giggled with delight at being reuinited with her.  
  
Mihoshi and Kiyone were the next to greet Tenchi and Ryoko.  
  
Tenchi shook Kiyone's hand, "Kiyone, we really owe you for what you did back on Renal."  
  
She merely waved it off with her hand, "Don't worry about it. I enjoyed listening to  
Nagi whine like a spoiled little brat." she chuckled.  
  
Kiyone then put her hands on her hips and glared at Ryoko, "Now, what was all that   
stuff about stealing Zelvian crystals?" she asked firmly.  
  
"Hey, they're for Washu, not me. You can go in her lab and ask her about it."  
  
A sweatdrop formed on Kiyone's head, "Uhh, I think I'll wait on that."  
  
After exchanging greetings with Mihoshi, both Tenchi and Ryoko visibly tensed when  
Ayeka calmy strode over to them.  
  
"Lord Tenchi, I am happy to see you again, and I'm relieved that you were able  
arrive safely." she softly stated while placing her hands over his.  
  
Tenchi inwardly cringed when he thought about what he was going to tell her later  
on, "It's nice to be back home." he did his best to sound upbeat to cover his  
uneasiness.  
  
Ayeka straightened her back when she turned to Ryoko, "Hello miss Ryoko, I'm  
pleased to see you didn't drag Tenchi into some trouble and get him killed." she quipped.  
  
"And I'm pleased to see you're still being a stuck up little snob." Ryoko taunted   
jovially.  
  
Neither one would actually admit to missing eachother, so instead they chose to  
express their feelings through their usual verbal barbs. After a moment of glaring at  
eachother, Tenchi suggested that they go in for some tea.  
  
***  
  
Later  
  
***  
  
"I gotta tell you Sasami, the one thing I missed most while I was gone was your  
cooking." Ryoko sincerely stated while munching on a rice ball.  
  
Sasami blushed slightly and bowed her head in appreciation. Everyone else had  
finished eating by now, and Ryoko was devouring her seconds. Since they had arrived back  
on Earth, Ayeka had been carefully watching Tenchi and Ryoko. While to the untrained eye,  
nothing appeared different, Ayeka could tell something was up. Ryoko wasn't hanging all  
over Tenchi, it was as if she was making a conscience effort to avoid pysical contact  
with him, and there were the short looks they exchanged across the table.   
  
Ayeka quietly nibbled on her food, and a sense of resignation sunk in as she observed   
their behavior.  
  
Tenchi set down his chopsticks and had a downcast expression as he looked at Ayeka, "Ayeka,   
can I talk to you in private?"  
  
And here it comes...  
  
She nodded her head silently and stood up, getting a look at Ryoko as she did. Ayeka had a   
sad smile as she saw that Ryoko had a sincerely apologetic look on her face as she looked  
at Ayeka. I always knew deep down that you were never my enemy, Ryoko.  
  
Tenchi and Ayeka made their way to Noboyuki's study in total silence, Tenchi was hanging  
his head when he shut the door behind them. Ayeka gracefully strode over to the chair and  
sat down, folding her hands on her lap.  
  
As Tenchi looked into those ruby eyes, he couldn't help but feel pity, I wish this didn't  
have to happen Ayeka, I wish nobody would get hurt by my choice.  
  
Ayeka could see that he was in distress, so she decided to save him the trouble of trying  
to broach the subject, "You're in love with Ryoko." it was a statement, not a question.  
  
His eyes widened in surprise, he was baffled as to how she knew. His shock gave way to  
sadness as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the pain on her face, "I'm sorry Ayeka,  
but I do love her." he said quietly.  
  
She blinked a few times, a strange numbness washing over her. Slowly, stabs of pain began  
to make themselves present in her heart, but it wasn't as overwhelming as she had feared,  
Perhaps it's because I've been preparing for it while he was gone.  
  
"I'm happy for the both of you." while her voice was small and quiet, there was sincerity  
evident in it.  
  
Tenchi opened his eyes in surprise, perplexed by her reaction, "I never wanted to hurt you  
Ayeka, it's just that if I kept my feelings bottled up then I'd only be hurting all of  
you."  
  
He once more hung his head in shame, "I feel like you've wasted all this time waiting for  
me, I'm sorry."  
  
Ayeka smiled slightly and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't think  
like that Tenchi, you've given me so much. Since I landed on Earth, I've been happier than  
I've ever been, and I have you and everyone else in this house to thank."  
  
Tenchi smiled warmly and pulled her into a hug, "No matter what happens Ayeka, I will  
always treasure you as a friend, never forget that."  
  
Her eyes began to water as she tried to keep her emotions in check, "Thank you Tenchi, I'll  
remember that. Now, I'd like some time alone please."  
  
Backing away, he nodded his head and quietly exited the study, leaving Ayeka alone with her  
thoughts. Her head was filled with a mix of emotions, there was pain at the knowledge   
that Tenchi had chosen Ryoko, there was a bit of happiness that Tenchi had found someone who  
made him happy, and there was a sense of relief. She was relieved that all the wondering  
and worrying was finally over, and that she could now move on, and there was relief that  
she'd never have to possibly choose between her planet and Tenchi.  
  
Sitting down, she decided that as hard as it may be, she had to avoid dwelling on what might   
have been and focus instead on what her own future held. She didn't know what path lay ahead,   
but her heavy heart was warmed knowing that there was always a group of friends who would   
support her.  
  
***  
  
Outside  
  
***  
  
It was a balmy summers evening, the heat of the day was fading as the sun sank below the  
horizon. Ryoko sat on the ground, just enjoying the glorious colored hues of the sky at  
dusk, happy to be back home. For Ryoko, it was great to have a place to call home, for  
so long, she was on the run from bounty hunters and the Galaxy Police, and never stayed  
more than a few weeks in one area. But now, she had a real place to call her own, with  
a real group of friends, and the love of her life. Things just couldn't get much better.  
she thought.  
  
Her sensitive ears caught the sound of the grass rustling behind her, turning around, she  
smiled when she saw who it was, "Hey Tenchi, did you come out to enjoy the sunset with me?"  
  
Tenchi sat down on the ground beside her, "Yeah, I missed being able to come out here and  
watch the sunset." he quietly noted.  
  
"How did it go?" she asked with worry in her voice.  
  
Tenchi exhaled tiredly, "Well, she's hurting, I can tell. But, she took it alot better than  
I had expected."  
  
Ryoko's shoulders relaxed when she heard that, "So she's not in a rage and planning on  
trying to kill me?" she half-jokingly asked.  
  
"No, I think she'll be alright. But we should really make it clear that we're there for  
her as friends, and that includes you."  
  
"Yeah, I'll be nice to her, but not for too long." she light heartedly quipped.  
  
Both sat in silence the for a few moments, each just basking in this calm moment. Ryoko  
then laid her head down on Tenchi's lap, and he began to gently brush his hand through  
her hair.  
  
"We'll have to get Washu to put some sort of sound dampening device on our bedroom door."  
she thoughtfully spoke.  
  
Tenchi instantly picked up on her meaning, knowing how loud she could get during their  
lovemaking, "Yeah, I just hope Washu doesn't want that sample from me as a payment." he  
mumbled.  
  
Ryoko raised an eyebrow at him, "What did you say about a sample?"  
  
"Umm, nothing."  
  
She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but decided not to press that matter any further,  
"Anyways, we won't need any sound dampening devices when we get married and get a place  
for ourselves." she non-chalantly stated.  
  
Tenchi stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a slightly anxious look on his face,  
"Ryoko, we just started having a romantic relationship, don't you think it's a tad soon  
to talk about marriage and settling down?"  
  
"What? Don't you want to marry me someday?" she seriously asked.  
  
Tenchi was silent for a moment, and then his nervous expression softened, "Of course I do."  
he said sincerely.  
  
"But, I think we should wait until after I graduate from school before we start thinking  
about that." he quickly added.  
  
She gave him an annoyed look, "Oh I see, it'll take you that long until you can stand the  
idea of settling down with me?"  
  
He tweaked her nose and gave her a reassuring look, "Don't be silly. It's just that I want to   
wait until I can make sure I'll be able to provide a secure future for us and any kids we   
might have."  
  
Satisfied with his answer, she once more allowed herself relax as the fading sunlight bathed  
the two in it's final warmth.  
  
Ryoko looked up at Tenchi's serene expression as he watched the sunset, "I think I want to   
have a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony." she casually remarked.  
  
"We're not even engaged yet and you're already planning the wedding?" he chuckled.  
  
She merely shrugged her shoulders, "Never too early to start planning."  
  
He gave her a thoughtful look as he brushed a stray band of cyan hair out of her eyes,  
"I never expected you'd want a traditional wedding."  
  
Ryoko mulled over his remark for a moment, "Well, my entire life has been untraditional,  
I figured I'd like to try out something ordinary for once."  
  
He gave her a playful smile, "Don't tell me my wild space pirate is going soft." he chided  
light heartedly.  
  
"Nah, I'm still plenty wild, especially at the things that count." her eyes twinkled with  
mischief as she spoke.  
  
Both were silent for a few moments as a warm evening breeze enveloped them.  
  
"Ok, since you want to start planning for this stuff right now, why don't you tell me  
where you'd like to go on our honeymoon?" he asked curiously.  
  
Her eyes traveled up to the clear sky as the first stars made their appearance, and her  
expression softened as she quietly replied, "Among the stars..."  
  
  
  
  
The End  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well there you have it folks, the end. I must say I've had a blast writing this fic, and  
I want to thank all those who gave me such kind words as I wrote. I'm enormously self-critical,  
so your words really gave me the confidence to go on. You haven't read the last from me  
however, as I'm already plotting the details for my next fic. It's gonna be another T/R  
fic that I think has an original premise, so stay tuned!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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